Articles on workplace-related issues from newspapers and Internet news sources around the country.
July 9, 2020
Discrimination Ruling Boosts LGBTQ Groups Challenging Military Ban
Source: Stephanie Colombini, NPR
Those challenging the military's ban on transgender service have been encouraged by a recent Supreme Court decision that protects many LGBTQ employees from discrimination.
Labor Board Makes It Easier for Federal Employees to Cancel Union Dues
Source: Erich Wagner, Government Executive
The board tasked with overseeing labor-management relations in the federal government on Wednesday issued final regulations making it easier for workers to cancel their union dues, despite opposition from labor groups and accusations of shifting rationale from its own member.
Labor Group Pushes For Nationwide ‘Strike For Black Lives’ On July 20
Source: Karen Robinson-Jacobs, Forbes
A coalition of labor unions and social justice organizations is organizing a mass walkout from work July 20, as part of the ongoing response to systemic racism and police brutality in the U.S.
INSIGHT: Employees Can Refuse Workplace Vaccinations
Source: Matthew Finkin, Bloomberg Law
Employers have a duty to provide a healthful workplace and may consider requiring vaccinations to stem diseases, like Covid-19. University of Illinois College of Law Professor Matthew Finkin warns they might face legal challenges from applicants and incumbent employees based on religious objection, objection due to a medical condition, or objection based on ethical or ideological grounds.
Working Parents, Your Family Needs a “Board of Directors”
Source: Priscilla Claman, Harvard Business Review
Covid-19 has brought this into high relief, by significantly eroding the distinction between work and home. Coping with life’s challenges in this ambiguous context can become a real challenge, but there’s an office practice that can help: mentoring.
July 8, 2020
Supreme Court rules against 2 teachers at religious schools
Source: Politico
The court said constitutional language that protects religious freedom barred the teachers from suing their religious schools for employment discrimination.
Loans Intended For Small Businesses To Retain Workers Were Hijacked By Large Corporations And The Rich
Source: Jack Kelly, Forbes
The Paycheck Protection Program, part of the multitrillion dollar government stimulus package, was primarily intended to help small businesses retain workers. The loosely managed and poorly regulated process was perverted and hijacked by thousands of companies that gamed the system.
Targeting Podcast Content Toward Remote Workers
Source: Jen Grogono , Forbes
As more employees shift to working off-site, there’s no reason for the personal bonds that underpin a successful work environment to fray.
CDC says 9% of meatpacking plant workers have been diagnosed with Covid-19
Source: Amelia Lucas, CNBC
About 9% of workers at meat and poultry processing facilities across 14 states have been diagnosed with Covid-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Research: How Workers Shift from One Industry to Another
Source: Michelle R. Weise , Harvard Business Review
With unemployment claims in the United States now reaching more than 45 million, the pandemic is laying bare the great deficiencies of the American education and workforce infrastructure, which has never been well-suited to helping low-wage workers navigate to higher economic ground.
July 7, 2020
Congress pressed to rescue struggling Black-owned businesses
Source: Zachary Warmbrodt and Megan Cassella
A bipartisan proposal by Sens. Steve Daines and Cory Booker would make $50 billion in grants available for the smallest businesses and nonprofits.
Rethinking Work Schedules? Consider These 4 Questions.
Source: Mark C. Bolino , Thomas K. Kelemen and Samuel H. Matthews, Harvard Business Review
Perhaps the most common change designed to address all of these areas is rethinking employee schedules, whether it is to support changes in work-life balance, to minimize social contact, or to meet wavering business demands. The traditional nine-to-five workday is no longer the gold standard.
Working Through a Personal Crisis
Source: Sabina Nawaz, Forbes
One day amid a flourishing career, you might find your personal life in crisis and threatening to upend your professional life. If so, you’re not alone.
How Do You Intervene When You Witness Racism, Bias And Bigotry In The Workplace?
Source: Janice Gassam, Forbes
Kelly sat down with Forbes to discuss the bystander effect and how to intervene if you ever witness discrimination taking place at work.
Deadly Discrimination: The Forgotten Impact Of Covid-19 On People With Disabilities
Source: Stephen Frost, Forbes
During the coronavirus pandemic, it is precisely these legal protections that should safeguard people. However, according to Marcie Roth, CEO of World Institute on Disability, “of the 43% of COVID-19 deaths attributed to congregate facilities, almost 100% are disabled people.”
July 6, 2020
How our new work-life reality is chipping away at equity and inclusion
Source: Sandra Feder, Fast Company
For the first time in modern history, three of our major social institutions—work, school, and family life—are all happening in one physical place: our homes. And that shift may have a greater adverse effect on women, according to Shelley Correll, a professor of sociology in Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences and a professor of organizational behavior (by courtesy) at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Virtual reality is booming in the workplace amid the pandemic. Here’s why
Source: Justin Higginbottom, CNBC
After years of promises and false starts, Covid-19 has driven a record number of workers remotely and could finally usher in their regular use of VR and AR at home — or at least give the tech a push on the path to mainstream.
Black Facebook employee and two job applicants file EEOC complaint alleging discrimination
Source: Kaya Yurieff, CNN
One current Facebook manager and two job applicants have filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that Facebook has "a general policy of discrimination against Black applicants and workers, including in hiring, evaluations, promotions, and pay."
Department of Labor gives Americans more retirement options
Source: Sarah Motter, WIBW
The U.S. Department of Labor announced the proposal of a new exemption giving Americans more options for retirement.
Call it the ‘boss tax:’ Seattle finally finds a potent way to tax the rich
Source: Danny Westneat, Seattle Times
After years of trying to mine the wealthy around here, and instead hitting themselves in the face, the Seattle City Council has finally fixed on a potent way to tax the rich.
July 2, 2020
How the American Worker Got Fleeced
Source: Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg
Over the years, bosses have held down wages, cut benefits, and stomped on employees’ rights. Covid-19 may change that.
Unemployment rate at 11.1% in June, another 1.4 million workers filed jobless claims last week
Source: Catherine Thorbecke, ABC
The unemployment rate in the U.S. fell slightly to 11.1% in June, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Labor. Meanwhile, another 1.4 million workers filed for unemployment insurance in the last week.
Busse Combat Knife Company Pays $20,900 to Settle EEOC Disability Discharge Suit
Source: EEOC
A Wauseon, Ohio knife manufacturer will pay $20,900 in back pay and non-economic damages and provide other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. The EEOC charged that Busse Combat Knife Company violated federal law by discharging a worker after he revealed a disability.
6 Ways To Cultivate A Workplace Culture That Inspires Diversity And Inclusion
Source: Heidi Lynne Kurter, Forbes
True diversity isn’t about checking the box. It’s about recruiting a workforce that includes individuals with different worldviews, ethnicities, religions, backgrounds, abilities and ages.
Stripping Away Bias, One Avatar At A Time
Source: Rebecca Ahmed, Forbes
What will the future of the workplace look like post COVID-19? This is the million-dollar question on everyone’s minds! While the logistics of returning to work are the primary focus, a beautiful opportunity is arising within diversity and inclusion.
July 1, 2020
Switching Off Stress: Five Ways To Achieve Work-Life Balance During A Crisis
Source: Sunshine Farzan, Forbes
Although working times appear to be on the rise during this crisis, stress can compromise overall productivity. Eventually, if we’re not careful, it can lead to information overload, constant distraction and burnout.
Schumer, Wyden bill would tie worker benefits to jobless rate
Source: Victoria Guida, Politico
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Wednesday introduced legislation that would tie enhanced unemployment benefits to joblessness levels in each state, the most prominent effort yet to expand federal policies that kick in automatically during a recession.
Human Resources Boss At Adidas Quits As Diversity Continues To Dominate The Retail Agenda
Source: Andrew Busby, Forbes
The head of human resources at Adidas, Karen Parkin, has resigned over comments she reportedly made at an Adidas meeting last year. And this is just another example of global brands having to take action over racial inequality in the wake of the death of George Floyd in May.
Coronavirus impacts self-employed workers most in hardest-hit states: Report
Source: Ann Schmidt , Fox
Self-employed workers were most affected in states that were hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic, according to recent data.
Private sector rehires 2.37 million workers in June, ADP says
Source: Greg Robb, MarketWatch
Private-sector employers added 2.37 million jobs in June, Automatic Data Processing Inc. reported Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Econoday expected a gain of 3.5 million.
June 30, 2020
Workers Filed More Than 4,100 Complaints About Protective Gear. Some Still Died.
Source: Christina Jewett and Shefali Luthra and Melissa Bailey, Kaiser Health News
The grief and fear gripping workers and their families reflect a far larger pattern. Since March, more than 4,100 COVID-related complaints regarding health care facilities have poured into the nation’s network of federal and state OSHA offices, which are tasked with protecting workers from harm on the job.
Las Vegas workers sue, saying casinos failed to protect them from coronavirus
Source: Katherine Sayre, MarketWatch
Las Vegas Strip hospitality workers filed a lawsuit against casino operators on Monday, accusing the companies of failing to protect employees from COVID-19, one of the first efforts to hold employers legally responsible for infections as cases in the U.S. surge.
Fired vs. Laid Off vs. Furloughed – What’s the Difference?
Source: Hallie Crawford, U.S. News
Many professionals are currently experiencing career loss, such as being fired, laid off or furloughed. This can feel frustrating and confusing, so it's best to understand the basic differences between these common scenarios. Then you can take the adequate steps to take control of your career.
What to Say When Someone Cries at Work
Source: Deborah Grayson Riegel, Harvard Business Review
I was recently coaching a leader who asked me, “Is it OK for me to tell someone on my team that they can’t cry at work?”
Most Valuable Personnel and MVP Workforce to Pay $568,500 To Settle EEOC Race and Sex Discrimination Suit
Source: EEOC
Personnel Staffing Group, LLC, doing business as Most Valuable Personnel (MVP), and MVP Workforce, LLC will pay $568,500 to resolve a race and sex discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
June 29, 2020
States scramble to contain Covid spikes without enough workers to track outbreaks
Source: Dan Goldberg and Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico
Severe shortages of public health workers to track disease spread helped fuel coronavirus spikes in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona and could make it harder to stamp out new hot spots.
6 Hidden Signs Of A Toxic Remote Or Onsite Workplace
Source: Bryan Robinson, Forbes
Many companies promote work inhumanity on the production line, in the boardroom or in sales meetings. Check out the following 6 signs of a toxic workplace to see if any ring true for you.
Why Essential Workers Deserve Covid-19 Hazard Pay
Source: Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes
As the nation the moves into an uncertain and wobbly relationship with the Covid-19 virus, it would be both just and smart to pay more to essential workers for risking their lives in the field. Hazard pay is fair because essential workers’ jobs got worse. It makes economic sense because their jobs just got more valuable.
Amazon gives front-line workers a $500 coronavirus bonus
Source: Annie Palmer, CNBC
Amazon is providing front-line workers with a one-time bonus to “show appreciation” for employees who continue to come to work during the coronavirus pandemic, the company announced Monday.
Powerlink Pays $25,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: JDSupra
Powerlink Facilities Management Services, a Michigan-based management and maintenance services company, will pay $25,000 and provide other relief to settle a federal disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
June 26, 2020
Employers: Is Your Workplace Trauma-Informed?
Source: Garen Staglin, Forbes
For all of these reasons, it is critical that employers create a trauma-informed workplace, whether workers are returning to the office or remaining remote.
Coronavirus opens door to company surveillance of workers
Source: Mohana Ravindranath, Politico
Employers are rushing to use digital tracking technology to reduce virus transmission in the workplace. But privacy experts worry that businesses will start using their newfound surveillance capabilities for purposes far beyond public health.
Whole Foods workers sent home for wearing Black Lives Matter masks
Source: Jordan Valinsky, CNN
A group of Whole Foods employees in a Boston-area store walked out to protest the company's policy that prevented them from wearing Black Lives Matter paraphernalia.
By blocking visas for foreign workers, Trump is further hurting the US economy
Source: Susan Cohen and Jennifer Hunt , CNN
President Trump's latest executive order, which introduces restrictions on several temporary work visas and extends restrictions on the entry of new green card holders, will only serve to prevent some of the brightest immigrant workers from entering the United States and from helping our economy to grow.
Practice What You Preach: Why Leaders Should Maintain Work-Life Balance During the Most Stressful Times
Source: Tiffany Delmore, Forbes
Instead of inadvertently sending mixed signals to your employees, resolve to start practicing what you preach about wellness, health and off-the-clock time. You can temper your penchant for going gangbusters 24/7 by taking these four steps.
June 25, 2020
EEOC Says Employers Can’t Restrict Older Employees Due To Covid-19, Even To Be Nice
Source: Kim Elsesser, Forbes
Those over 65 years old are at higher risk from COVID-19, so employers naturally want to protect these vulnerable workers from the virus. But the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is warning employers that they cannot exclude older employees from certain activities, even if they believe they’re acting in the best interest of the employee.
A lack of child care is keeping women on unemployment rolls
Source: Megan Cassella and Eleanor Mueller, Politico
A lack of safe and affordable child care amid the coronavirus pandemic is keeping many working parents from returning to the office as more companies call employees back to their jobs — threatening to extend the economic crisis and erode decades of gains for women in the workplace.
Pay Black employees based on their performance, not your bias
Source: Susan Alban, Fast Company
Although many companies have quickly introduced anti-bias training for their employees, they have in large part left room for managers, even unwittingly, to introduce bias into their pay decisions.
Help Your Employees Manage Their Reentry Anxiety
Source: Sarah Clayton and Anthea Hoyle, Harvard Business Review
While workforce reentry certainly includes logistical and operational planning, it is not just physical well-being that employers must take into account. Equally important is how organizations will respond to employees’ emotional and psychological health —a topic that, regrettably, is discussed far less frequently.
One of the causes of the coronavirus bias: Flawed labor law
Source: Irfan Nooruddin and Kate Reeves, Hartford Courant
Flawed labor law is equally responsible for the disparities in COVID-19 case and death rates. Connecticut, which has the third-highest coronavirus death rate and second-highest income gap of the 50 U.S. states, is the perfect case study.
June 24, 2020
One in Three Workers Say They Would Change Their Field if They Lost Their Job; Less than Half of Americans Have Access to Desired Education and Training
Source: Globe Newswire
This week's Public Viewpoint report finds that 35 percent of workers say they would change their field of work if they lost their job. Interest in career switching ranges from a high of 39 percent for workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher, down to a still substantial 33 percent for workers with a high school degree or less.
Switch Off Covid-19 Stress: 5 Ways to Achieve Work-life Balance in the New Normal
Source: Sunshine Farzen, Entrepreneur
Accelerated connectivity has its advantages, but the bulldozing trend of hypercommunication may wreak havoc on our personal lives. Eventually, if we’re not careful, it will compromise our productivity and subject us to information overload, constant distraction, and burnout.
Oregon Police Unions Seek Big Changes To Officer Accountability Legislation
Source: Jeff Mabes, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Oregon’s law enforcement unions, while insisting they want to work cooperatively with legislators to revamp policing practices, are raising objections to all six police accountability bills that have been introduced for the special session.
Big Business Opposes President Trump's New Limits On Foreign Workers
Source: Joel Rose, NPR
When President Trump barred many foreign workers from coming to the U.S., he has alienated a powerful ally: big business. The Chamber of Commerce and Silicon Valley have opposed the move.
The Workplace Powers That Employees Need
Source: Annie Lowery, The Atlantic
This means that, months into the pandemic, millions of low-wage workers are still facing an impossible choice: their lives or their livelihood. But it need not be this way. And as businesses reopen, workers such as Lambert need more say in how.
June 23, 2020
How To Tell Your Boss You Have Zoom Fatigue
Source: Avery Blank, Forbes
Even if you dislike being on Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting, you may not feel comfortable saying something to your boss because video calls have become the norm. But what has become normal may not be best for how you work and stay effective.
Google Workers Are Demanding That the Company Stop Working With Police
Source: Ali Breland, Mother Jones
In a new letter, more than 1,600 Google workers are demanding that the company end its work with police departments across the country.
1 in 5 younger workers are making this huge investing mistake due to the coronavirus crisis
Source: Christy Bieber, USA Today
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted some younger workers to make a change that could cost them. As many as 21.1% of workers who are 10 or more years from retirement have suspended contributions to their retirement accounts, according to a new study from financial management site Personal Capital.
Do employers need to keep track of sick workers?
Source: Meghan McCarty Carino, Marketplace
Workplaces around the country are getting back to normal despite an upswing in COVID-19 cases in more than 20 states. So what responsibility do employers have to keep track of sick workers?
How far does the ‘watershed’ Supreme Court decision reach?
Source: Lisa Keen, Out In Jersey
“But there are still critical gaps in our federal nondiscrimination laws,” said Davidson. “While LGBTQ people are now protected from discrimination at work nationwide, there are still no federal laws prohibiting sex discrimination in public spaces or in federally funded programs.
June 22, 2020
5 Tips to Ask for More Remote Work Days Even in a Post-COVID-19 World
Source: Kevin Payne, Black Enterprise
Keep reading to see the current state of remote work, then how you can use this information to help you ask your boss for more remote work days even after social distancing and quarantine becomes a thing of the past.
Trump expected to extend limits on foreign workers
Source: Anita Kumar, Politico
Trump will expand on the executive order blocking most people from receiving a permanent residency visa, or green card, by including most guest workers who come to the United States for temporary or seasonal work.
Why Some Remote Workers Might Get Hit with Surprise Taxes
Source: Adam Michel, Yahoo News
However, because so few states have independently moved to protect taxpayers, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., has proposed a federal bill that would limit states’ ability to tax the income of people temporarily working from a remote location during the pandemic and in the future.
When crisis workers, not traditional police, respond to calls about mental health
Source: Alisa Roth, MPR News
Police are often called on to respond to mental health emergencies. That could change, though, as cities across the country — including Minneapolis —consider defunding the police.
150 cannery workers forced into hotel quarantine without pay
Source: ABC News
About 150 seasonal workers hired by a salmon cannery in Alaska are being forced to quarantine without pay at a hotel in Los Angeles after three of them tested positive for the coronavirus, a lawsuit claims.
June 19, 2020
Father-friendly workplaces make finer families
Source: Nate Edwards, Medical Xpress
Recently, researchers found evidence that family-supportive workplaces and greater flexibility in when and where fathers were able to work played a big role in that connectivity.
Watchdog: Emergency Fed programs boost big business most
Source: Victoria Guida, Politico
A congressional watchdog overseeing $500 billion in coronavirus relief funds said Thursday that the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have done more to aid large corporations than smaller businesses or state and local governments.
Despite new law to require paid sick-time for workers, many companies aren’t bound by it
Source: Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
Today, less than half of all private-sector workers in the United States — and potentially as few as one in six — are covered by the temporary law, according to one recent study. As many as 7 million workers are excluded just in Florida.
Survey Reveals That Most Leaders Aren’t Listening To Workplace Discrimination Concerns From Employees
Source: Mark Murphy, Forbes
But notwithstanding those laudable sentiments, most leaders are not actually listening to employees’ concerns about workplace discrimination. And they’re not truly listening with empathy, and without blame and defensiveness. And employees don’t feel like they can raise concerns about discrimination without causing problems for themselves.
‘Empathy alone is not enough:’ How HR can boost workplace equality
Source: Tom Starner, HR Executive
According to Mercer’s Let’s Get Real About Equality research, which covers organizational policies and practices related to diversity and inclusion, one out of three U.S. organizations does not take the simple, critical step of tracking employee representation by race/ethnicity and career level. Also, nearly half do not track rates of hiring, promotion and exits by race/ethnicity and career level.
June 18, 2020
Employers can't require COVID-19 antibody tests, EEOC says
Source: Anne Flaherty and Catherine Thorebeck, ABC News
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission made it clear that employers can't force workers to take COVID-19 antibody tests, as businesses begin grappling with how to safely reopen amid the pandemic.
Let’s Talk About Racial Microaggressions In The Workplace
Source: Stephanie Sarkis, Forbes
Some corporations have come out in support of Black Lives Matter, and they give great detail their support of diversity. However, if we are to address racism in the workplace, we need to discuss racial microaggressions — something that businesses rarely address.
The Great Recession was especially bad for older workers. The pandemic could be even worse
Source: Martin Neil Baily and Benjamin H. Harris, CNN
In the wake of the Great Recession, for example, 401(k) balances rebounded after a yearlong freefall. But those hit the worst by the downturn were older workers who were required to take early retirement and were pushed out of the labor market before they were financially prepared or ready to stop working.
Amazon is testing a wearable device that lights up and beeps when warehouse workers get too close to each other
Source: Annie Palmer, CNBC
The device is a clear plastic sleeve with a clip that features an LED light and audio system, according to a memo seen by CNBC. When workers are too close to one another, the wearable emits a loud beeping noise and the light flashes.
Workers filed 1.5M unemployment claims, as infections spike
Source: Rebecca Rainey, Politico
The continued influx of claims for jobless benefits more than three months into the pandemic is raising doubt among some economists that the U.S. will experience a rapid recovery.
June 17, 2020
EEOC to propose 'de minimis' limit on wellness program incentives
Source: Ryan Golden, HR Dive
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted 2-1 June 11 to move forward a proposed rulemaking that would allow only a "de minimis" financial incentive to encourage employee participation in wellness programs without violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
8 Entrepreneurs And Business Leaders Weigh In On Work-Life Balance In The Time Of Coronavirus
Source: Rhett Power, Forbes
I decided to ask eight founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders how they integrate work into their daily lives and how their approach to finding balance has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Millions of health workers are exempt from coronavirus paid sick leave law, study finds
Source: Elizabeth Schulze , CNBC
Millions of health-care workers across the U.S. are going to work without paid sick leave during the coronavirus pandemic, a study published Wednesday found.
Gig workers face arrest and charges while delivering during pandemic and curfews
Source: Faiz Siddiqui , The Washington Post
Uber, Doordash and other services did little to warn their workers of the perils. Some gig workers have faced legal consequences for doing their job.
Target raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour, giving frontline workers $200 coronavirus bonus
Source: Kelly Tyko, USA Today
Target said Wednesday that it is raising its minimum wage for U.S. hourly workers to $15 beginning July 5.
June 16, 2020
How voice tech could shape the post-pandemic workplace
Source: Charlotte Trueman, Computer World
With that backdrop, 451 Research in a recent report predicted sees voice assistants and other contactless interfaces could become top investment choices for organizations, with the wide-spread adoption of voice user interfaces, intelligent assistants and biometric authentication.
How to Do Performance Reviews — Remotely
Source: Rebecca Knight, Harvard Business Review
You may have conducted hundreds of performance reviews over the course of your career, but in the era of Covid-19 everything is different. You and your team have been working remotely for months now in an extremely difficult situation.
Confronting Racism at Work: A Reading List
Source: The Harvard Business Review
White leaders and employees must learn to really listen to their colleagues, to recognize their own biases, histories, and everyday actions in a new light. They must understand that being vocal about race, diversity, and inclusion is their own responsibility — not the job of their Black or Brown colleagues.
Disney Argues Spouses Aren't Protected Under Pregnancy Discrimination Laws
Source: Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter
Thanks to the streaming age and an unusual lawsuit from a former Disney employee, a New York federal judge may soon take a crack at clarifying whether pregnancy discrimination laws cover just those individuals carrying a baby — or their spouses, too.
This Man Is Eliminating Protections Against Healthcare Discrimination For More Than 1 Million Americans
Source: Dawn Ennis, Forbes
Roger Severino, the director of the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the man responsible for erasing federal healthcare and health insurance protections from discrimination, rolling back Obama-era rules.
June 15, 2020
In landmark case, Supreme Court rules LGBTQ workers are protected from job discrimination
Source: Pete Williams, NBC News
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that existing federal law forbids job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender status, a major victory for advocates of gay rights and for the nascent transgender rights movement — and a surprising one from an increasingly conservative court.
Unions tap into burst of worker angst over coronavirus
Source: Shia Kapos, Politico
“Maybe these workers will start to understand the value they have for society, because for decades they've been told they have no value and that they’re replaceable," one union official said.
How TOMS Shoes Founder Rebalanced Life and Work
Source: Harvard Business Review
For more than 20 years, TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie has built and sold successful companies. But it was a recent battle with depression that led him to reevaluate his priorities and, ultimately, create a new company. Now his latest startup, Madefor, harnesses his personal awakening to a science-backed approach to creating habits that reinforce wellness.
Workplace Culture Without An Office: Is It Possible?
Source: Laurel Farrer, Forbes
The fear of remote worker isolation is a lurking topic for every business leader during this era of office lockdowns. Companies are anxious to keep their employees engaged to prevent feelings of loneliness and abandonment.
Wanted: Servers who can lift 100 pounds. Working life in the coronavirus economy is changing.
Source: Karla L. Miller, The Washington Post
As states reopened after coronavirus lockdowns, millions of Americans returned to work in May. Many found their hours were cut, their pay was reduced, and their job descriptions had changed — sometimes beyond all recognition.
June 12, 2020
Public health workers fighting virus face growing threats
Source: Michelle R. Smith, Lauren Weber and Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ABC News
In the battle against COVID-19, public health workers spread across states, cities and small towns make up an invisible army on the front lines.?But that army, which has suffered neglect for decades, is under assault when it’s needed most.
Is Your Company Actually Fighting Racism, or Just Talking About It?
Source: Kira Hudson Banks and Richard Harvey, Harvard Business Review
We have spent the past week listening to Black employees within several different companies. A common theme that emerged from these conversations was the disconnect between a company’s statement or commitment of resources externally and the daily employee experience.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory to Pay $10 Million to Settle EEOC Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Source: EEOC
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today the settlement of an age discrimination lawsuit against Pasadena, Calif.-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The laboratory has agreed to pay $10 million, along with injunctive relief, in order to reach an early resolution of the suit.
Why Smart Bosses Make Remote Employees Communicate Less, Not More
Source: Jeff Haden, Inc.
Research shows less 'face time' leads to increased creativity, better problem-solving, and higher productivity.
'They don't belong': calls grow to oust police from US labor movement
Source: Frida Garza, The Guardian
As protests against police brutality continue across the US, a new tactic is emerging to combat the huge influence of police unions: kicking them out of the American labor movement.
June 11, 2020
How Organizations Can Support the Mental Health of Black Employees
Source: Angela Neal-Barnett, Harvard Business Review
Most Black Americans, regardless of education, socioeconomic status, or job title, experience one or more forms of racism every day. But with the placement of a knee on George Floyd’s neck, racism shifted from a chronic stressor to a trauma trigger. Unfortunately, few, if any, HR and DEI leaders have the skills and training to address the needs of a racially traumatized workforce.
Labor Leaders Call For Police Reform Even As Police Unions Face Growing Criticism
Source: Don Gonyea, NPR
Police unions often wield considerable political clout in many communities. Their endorsements are much sought after by candidates for office up and down the ballot.
Texas Convenience Store Worker Ties Down Employer In Age Discrimination Case
Source: Patricia Barnes, Forbes
A one-time Texas convenience store stocker scored a major victory in a federal court recently when a judge refused to dismiss his age discrimination complaint against Stripes LLC.
Thousands Of Workers Say Their Jobs Are Unsafe As Economy Reopens
Source: Chris Arnold, NPR
Another issue advocates for workers are watching: Republican lawmakers in Washington want to shield employers from legal liability if their workers contract the coronavirus. The lawmakers argue that employers need that protection to reopen, but critics say it would result in more unsafe workplaces.
In absence of federal action, farm workers’ coronavirus cases spike
Source: Liz Crampton, Politico
Coronavirus outbreaks among farm workers are popping up in rural communities across the country, sparking fears within the agriculture industry that cases will skyrocket as harvest season stretches into summer.
June 10, 2020
Older Workers Grapple With Risk of Getting Covid-19 on the Job
Source: acob Bunge, Alexandra Berzon and Kris Maher, The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus takes toll on many employees over 60 who continued to work through the pandemic
The 7 most anticipated Supreme Court decisions
Source: John Kruzel and Harper Neidig, The Hill
The hot-button issues awaiting decisions include fights over abortion, Electoral College procedures, LGBT rights in the workplace, the deportation status of nearly 700,000 young undocumented immigrants and the fate of President Trump's tax returns.
4 Ways You Can Tackle Racial Discrimination In Your Workplace
Source: Heidi Lynne Kurter, Forbes
Racial discrimination is a global issue that has been an ongoing and commonly ignored problem. Staying silent has proven to be deadly, making one complicit in the system of oppression.
Unemployment Benefits During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Guide
Source: Brian Martucci, Money Crashers
In March 2020, the United States’ longest economic expansion in modern history ran into the buzzsaw of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing an unprecedented spike in jobless claims. The nearly 17 million initial unemployment claims filed between March 15 and April 4, 2020, exceeded the Great Recession’s 18-month total, according to Politico.
Pride Month 2020: The importance of creating 'diverse and inclusionary' work environment for LGBTQ+ community
Source: Anoushka Pinto, Human Interest
There is no federal law that protects LGBTQ+ employees from workplace discrimination and only 22 states and the District of Colombia have specific laws that prohibit
