Supreme Court strengthens protections for religious rights at work
The Supreme Court sided in part with a Sabbath-observant mail carrier who quit the U.S. Postal Service after he was forced to deliver packages on Sundays.
Human Resources
Articles
Men returning to offices faster than women, new report shows
The share of men who worked at least partly at home on an average day dropped to 28% in 2022 from about 35% the year before, results of an annual survey published Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.
Ex-Starbucks manager awarded $25.6M in suit over firing
Jurors in federal court have awarded $25.6 million to a former Starbucks regional manager who alleged that she and other white employees were unfairly punished after the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a Philadelphia location in 2018.
Four-day workweek becoming common at small businesses
As larger companies continue to harden their return-to-office mandates, the flexibility uniquely offered by small businesses might become increasingly attractive to job seekers.
Human resources firms cautiously adopting AI
The growth of artificial intelligence tools and the increasing sophistication of the technology has made AI a target for regulators, especially in hiring.
Employers take different approaches to get workers back in office
The executives of corporate America are stepping up efforts to get workers back into the office, using a combination of threats and incentives to get employees to give up the work-from-home lifestyle they adopted in the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tech startup Qualifi lands $4.5M in growth capital
Indianapolis-based Qualifi, which launched in 2019, offers a platform that allows employers to quickly screen groups of job candidates via automated phone interviews.
Workers’ well-being tops agenda at annual shareholder meetings
From Amazon.com to Walmart, investors have filed more than 140 shareholder resolutions this year, pressing companies to address employee-related issues ranging from paid leave and health and safety to abortion access, benefits and labor rights.
When managers try to be therapists, worker mental health can suffer
While workplaces usually have basic guidelines for managers on how to address issues such as like worker anxiety and depression, few have guardrails in place so they know what not to say.
College hoops staffs specialize to meet roster, NIL demands
Coaches across college basketball are bolstering support staffs and looking at ways to evolve to deal with recruiting, roster management and athletes who can earn money.
Edison School of the Arts staff, students call for resignation of executive director
Edison, one of the few Innovation schools in Indianapolis Public Schools not run by a charter operator, called a special meeting Tuesday after Executive Director Nathan Tuttle was accused of using a racial slur.
Four-day workweek trial: Shorter hours, happier employees
A trial of a four-day workweek, billed as the world’s largest, has found that an overwhelming majority of the 61 companies that participated from June to December will keep going with the shorter hours.
Gallup: Just 2 in 10 U.S. employees have work ‘best friend’
The Gallup survey found a strong link between workers with best friends on the job and profitability, safety, inventory control and retention.
FTC proposes rule that would ban noncompete clauses
The FTC proposal is based on a preliminary finding that noncompete clauses quash competition in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Section 5 bans unfair methods of competition.
Experts: Here are the five benefits U.S. employees want most
These are the top strategies and benefits experts say will be important in 2023. Hint: They go beyond free lunch, commuting stipends and other sweeteners that dominated this year’s return-to-office push.
Workers have high hopes for pay hikes next year—perhaps too high
While the labor market remains tight, evidenced by last month’s better-than-expected increases in both jobs and wages, employers are gaining back some leverage just in time for the tough conversations between bosses and employees to begin.
Study: Incentives can lead employees to cheat or lie at work
Leaders usually deploy incentives with the aim of boosting their organization’s performance, but the focus on rewards can “open you up to overlooking other important values,” the lead author of the study said.
Experts perplexed as U.S. workers get way less productive
In the first half of 2022, productivity—the measure of how much output in goods and services an employee can produce in an hour—plunged by the sharpest rate on record going back to 1947, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Salary transparency laws aim to combat pay disparities
Salary transparency laws are being adopted by a small but growing number of cities and states across the country in an effort to address pay disparities for women and people of color.
Companies lure hourly workers with college tuition perks
For hourly employees, the programs remove the financial barriers of obtaining a degree.