Panel: Diversifying tech requires intentionality
IBJ’s annual Technology Power Panel on May 7 led to a lively discussion—moderated by IBJ reporter Anthony Schoettle—that focused in part on diversity in the tech sector.
Workplace Issues
Articles
In the workplace: Boom will force companies to reevaluate culture
After the talent displacement of 2020, we’re beginning to see unemployment numbers drop again. Predictably, a boom will stimulate even more demand for top talent as businesses reopen, capacity swells and seasons change.
IBJ Podcast: Restaurants are getting busy again—but don’t have the staff to keep up
Host Mason King talks with two restauranteurs—Loughmiller’s Pub & Eatery co-owner Danny Scotten and Upland Brewing Co. President David Bower—about how the labor crunch is affecting their eateries and what they’re doing to try to find workers.
Indianapolis-area employers reluctant to require employee vaccinations
Companies are offering plenty of incentives to encourage their workers to get COVID vaccinations, but few, if any, are requiring the shots as a condition for coming back to work—or, in the case of new hires, for getting a job offer.
Clusters of immigrants common at some workplaces
A 2014 study found that, on average, 37% of immigrants working in urban America had co-workers who were also immigrants.
Indy-based Jobvite combined with two other recruiting software firms to form new company
The new firm will maintain the brands of the three companies—Jobvite, JazzHR and NXTThing RPO—as well as operations in their respective communities, the company said.
Policy forbidding cell phones at work not limited to FedEx
From safety concerns to productivity and data security, there are many reasons why companies may limit employee access to cell phones. Some FedEx employees said the company’s no-phone policy delayed contact with loved ones after the mass shooting on April 15.
A jab on the job: Companies, unions offer COVID-19 vaccines
In March, when vaccine eligibility was widening and distribution efforts improving in the U.S., a survey by the consulting firm Gartner found 30% of companies planned to bring vaccines to their employees.
FedEx workers likely to suffer trauma, need support after mass shooting
Mental health counselors say it’s important for workers in such situations get immediate and ongoing care to help them get through the trauma.
At least 11 other workplace shootings reported in Indiana since mid-2015
In addition to the nine deaths reported overnight at FedEx, at least four other Indiana deaths and four injuries have resulted from workplace shootings since mid-2015 in Indiana.
Equal pay bill passed by House, but faces long odds in Senate
The bill would make it easier to sue employers over pay discrimination, curb the ability of companies to retaliate and include a requirement that businesses submit detailed pay data to the federal government for use in policing pay discrimination laws.
McDonald’s to mandate anti-harassment training worldwide
The change is part of a larger reckoning over sexual harassment at McDonald’s. At least 50 workers have filed charges against the company over the last five years, alleging physical and verbal harassment and, in some cases, retaliation when they complained.
Public companies using SEC filings to talk up diversity, but few sharing data
Eli Lilly and Co. included in its proxy statement an intricate graphic breaking down the presence of women and minorities in its overall workforce and in management.
Hybrid workers mean more ‘hoteling’ in offices
Given the revolution in staffing, it’s safe to say office redesigns will deal with two new normals—accommodating fewer full-time workers and making workspaces more resistant to the spread of disease.
Exotic dancers raise veil on job-classification issue
Two lawsuits filed against Indianapolis strip clubs are putting a spotlight on an increasingly common question: When is an independent contractor really an employee?
Indiana Senate OKs optional pregnant worker accommodations
The proposal allows a pregnant employee to request accommodations and requires the employer to respond in a reasonable time frame, but it does not mandate that managers grant any of the requests.
In the workplace: Typical hiring practices may unintentionally lead to discrimination
The use of customer preference in selection—whether based on gender, race, age or any other protected characteristic—is one of a number of examples of possible systemic discrimination outlined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently.
Lilly exec created hostile work environment for women, former lobbyist claims in suit
Sonya Elling filed suit Friday in federal court against the drugmaker, alleging that Leigh Ann Pusey, senior vice president for corporate affairs and communications, precluded her from engaging with members of Congress because she was “not a cute, young thing.”
Survey: Bosses clueless that workers are miserable, looking to leave
The data found burnout is widespread—54% of workers said they are overworked and 39% said exhausted.
Will work-from-home conditions outlast virus? Ford’s move suggests yes
Ford’s announcement sent one of the clearest signals to date that the pandemic has hastened a cultural shift in Americans’ work lives by erasing any stigma around remote work and encouraging the adoption of technology that enables it.