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☆ Japan's base salaries jump most since 1995, puts Bank of Japan's policy into view
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kazuo Ueda, governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), far right, speaks during an event at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Ueda said central banks need to be more careful about how they communicate with increase in their toolkits and advancements in monetary policy making. Global financial markets have been closely watching Japan's wage data, as Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda regards pay growth as a key gauge to consider in deliberations about a shift in policy. Regular wages rose 1.8% in May from a year before, labor ministry data showed, the biggest gain since February 1995. The strong base pay growth boosted worker's total cash earnings, or nominal wages, by 2.5% in May, after a revised 0.8% increase logged in April.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Noriaki Sasaki, Kuroda, Hisashi Yamada, Rengo Organizations: Bank of Japan, Yomiuri Shimbun, Bloomberg, Getty, Global, Hosei University Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Pay student loans or invest in your 401(k)? You may soon be able to do both at once
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Following the Supreme Court's ruling on President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, interest on student debt will begin to accrue in September, with payments due in October. Borrowers with federal student loan payments currently owe $37,338, on average, with a median monthly payment of $250, according to the Education Data Initiative. But for certain workers — especially those with piles of student debt — finding room in the budget to invest for retirement can be difficult. Under the new law, employers can make matching contributions to workplace plans — including 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457(b)s and SIMPLE IRAs — based on an employee's qualified student loan payments. In order to qualify for the match, workers must simply certify that student loan payments have been made.

Persons: Joe Biden's Organizations: Education Data

☆ After hating on Taylor Swift for years, I've now spent $8,000 on her Eras Tour. I finally understand the hype.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Chris Weller | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Erin Wickham, 34, says she found Taylor Swift "annoying" for most of her twenties. I always knew Swift as this pop-bubblegum artist, so I didn't expect muchThe process of getting converted from Taylor Swift antagonist to full-on superfan happened faster than I expected. Swift's music spoke to me on an emotional level I wasn't expectingI had a difficult 2022. I was crazy for Taylor Swift, but I wasn't going to shell out that kind of money. Taylor Swift's music makes me feel less aloneI imagine this sense of connection is why people have followed groups like the Grateful Dead and Phish around for so many years.

Persons: Erin Wickham, Taylor Swift, Wickham, She's, —, It's, I'd, I'm, Swift, Taylor, TikTok, Marjorie, begrudgingly, I've, what's, Taylor Swift's Organizations: Swift, Service, New, MetLife, Pittsburgh, Amtrak Locations: TikTok, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, merch

☆ Exclusive: With UK health service in crisis, Tesco gives staff virtual doctors appointments
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A customer talks to an in store fishmonger at a Tesco supermarket near Liverpool, Britain, January 28, 2019. REUTERS/ Phil NobleLONDON, July 6 (Reuters) - Supermarket group Tesco (TSCO.L), Britain's largest private-sector employer, is to offer its staff virtual appointments with a private family doctor, in another indication of the pressures engulfing the country's National Health Service (NHS). The NHS, which celebrated its 75th anniversary on Wednesday, was launched after World War Two to provide health care free at the point of use, and remains a much-loved institution. "This is a direct investment in the health of our colleagues," Tesco's UK people director, James Goodman, said. Tesco, like other big employers and retailers, has previously provided more traditional benefits to staff, such as share schemes and staff discounts, and last year started offering advances on pay.

Persons: Phil Noble LONDON, YuLife, Booker, James Goodman, James Davey, Kate Holton, David Holmes Organizations: Tesco, REUTERS, National Health Service, Reuters, Health, Workers, Tesco Bank, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, Britain, England

The Supreme Court ordered the 3rd Circuit to reconsider the matter. The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has a track record of expanding religious rights, often siding with Christian plaintiffs. Groff's attorneys had asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Hardison precedent and require companies to show a "significant difficulty or expense" before denying an accommodation. The Postal Service in 2013, in a bid to remain profitable, contracted with Amazon.com to deliver packages, including on Sundays. His absences caused tension among other carriers who had to cover his shifts, the Postal Service said.

Persons: Gerald Groff, Hardison, Groff, Andrew Chung, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Postal Service, Circuit, Appeals, Civil, VII, Airlines, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Lancaster, United States, Colorado, Washington

☆ A new Texas law will override mandated rest and water breaks for construction crews as extreme heat rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some construction crews in Texas are no longer guaranteed water breaks under a new law. Critics say the law will override the few protections that construction workers in Austin and Houston are guaranteed, including 10-minute breaks every four hours to drink water and rest in the shade. The agency in 2021 started collecting information to help inform a national heat standard for indoor and outdoor workers, but a final rule could be years away. Mahaleris said the law wouldn't prohibit people from taking water breaks. "Access to drinking water and bathrooms, taking breaks in the shade — and there's also an education component that's important."

Persons: Greg Abbott, Daniela Hernandez, Abbott, Andrew Mahaleris, Mahaleris, Hernandez, Lulu Flores, there's Organizations: Service, Central America, Workers Defense Project, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, Texans, Big, National Park Service, US Postal Service, Democrat, Austin, GOP Locations: Texas, Texas , Louisiana, Mexico, Central, Austin, Houston, Texas . Texas, California , Minnesota, Washington, North Texas, West Virginia, East Texas

Weekly orders this year now average 26 as the strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) halted many film and TV productions, Elyea said. Florists, caterers, costume suppliers and others have seen orders dwindle as many are still recovering from disruptions caused by COVID-19. No new talks are scheduled between major Hollywood studios and the writers, who are seeking higher pay and guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence. The strike's impact would be magnified if the SAG-AFTRA actors union also goes on strike when its contract expires on Friday. "Now, there's the writers' strike, and we're losing the movies that have been so good to us."

Persons: Pam Elyea's, Elyea, Kevin Klowden, Klowden, You've, Ross Garner, Danni Sapp, Sapp, Cristina, John Iverson, Cristina Iverson, Iverson, we're, hadn't, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway, Rollo Ross, Mary Milliken, Sandra Maler Organizations: Hollywood, Hire, Writers Guild of America, SAG, WGA, Milken Institute, NFP's Entertainment Group, Services, Netflix, HBO, Television Fund, Vogue, FBI, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Los Angeles, California, United States, COVID, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Waco

☆ 4 ways 'anchoring bias' can hurt you financially
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A 401(k) match can be an unintentional anchor"Anchors" can be intentional or unintentional, said Klontz, a member of CNBC's Advisor Council. A 401(k) match can serve as an unintentional anchor. Companies choose the respective structure of their 401(k) match — and that structure may inadvertently influence a worker's savings rate. For example, a company may opt to pay a match worth up to 3% of a worker's salary. Encouraging investors to start with a micro-investment "leads to lower wealth accumulation in this brokerage account due to anchoring bias," according to the paper.

Persons: Klontz, they'll, Grill, Tim Vipond, Itzkowitz Organizations: Companies, Google, Corporate Finance, Bank, Getty, Puerto, CFI Education Locations: Hawaii, Puerto Rico

☆ A lonely tech worker's post about being 'a lot happier' after returning to the office sparked a debate around if that's only for people without kids or a hard commute
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A tech worker's post sparked a debate on who benefits or is inconvenienced by returning to the office. Some workers said the return to in-person work helped them feel less isolated. Other workers pointed out that it's less ideal for workers with kids or long commutes. In the Blind post, the employee broke down his average day now that his company works in person, including a one-hour commute by train. A Microsoft employee added that returning to in-person work would be most ideal for people who lived in areas with high quality public transportation.

Persons: I've, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: Microsoft, Street Journal

☆ Harvard-trained neuroscientist: Avoid these 3 types of toxic co-workers 'at all costs'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

At work, toxic bosses, co-workers or clients can drive your brain into a stressed-out state, hurting your productivity and eroding your confidence, says Juliette Han, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist. "Toxic behavior isn't limited to people who are intentionally hurtful or lashing out at you," she adds. "People who gravitate towards drama or have a bad attitude about work can be just as bad for you." The more time you spend with someone who is constantly worried about falling short or getting fired, Han warns, the more at-risk you are for absorbing their toxic behavior. How to handle it: It's important to remember that your co-worker's victimhood mindset has nothing to do with you, Han says.

Persons: Juliette Han, Han, stirrers, weren't Organizations: Harvard, Columbia Business School, Harvard Medical School

☆ Hostess, the maker of Twinkies, faces a near $300,000 fine after a worker severed their fingertip on the job
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A worker lost a fingertip while working at a Hostess Brands facility, the Labor Department said. Federal investigators now say the company failed to provide workers with proper training. According to the department, the worker's amputation — reported by the company in December 2022 — occurred as they were attempting to reassemble a pump. In total, OSHA is accusing Hostess Brands of seven violations of federal safety standards, proposing civil penalties of just over $298,000. Hostess Brands employs about 3,000 people and reported revenues of more than $345 million in the first quarter of 2023.

Persons: —, Sukhvir Kaur Organizations: Hostess Brands, Labor Department, Federal, Service, US Department of Labor, Safety, Health Administration, OSHA Locations: Chicago

Wendy's will pilot its new AI drive-thru tech this month at some locations in the Columbus, Ohio, area. The hesitancy to discuss any generative AI implementation is understandable. That said, we think that generative AI opportunities at Starbucks are still worth considering. This is where we think there's a clear opportunity for margin improvement as generative AI adoption goes mainstream. There are going to be a lot of opportunities to invest in to play the adoption of generative AI outside of tech.

Persons: hasn't, WEN, Jack, JACK, we've, Todd Penegor, Jim Cramer, Wendy's, Darin Harris, Jim, Harris, It's, —, China's, Jim Cramer's, Scott Mlyn Organizations: Microsoft, Nvidia, Club, Del, Starbucks, AIs, chatbots, Global, Companies, CNBC Locations: Columbus , Ohio, U.S, QSRs, Wendy's, Glassdoor, Dana Point , California

It was by a young Chinese pitch invader, eager to meet his hero, the seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or. Videos that have gone viral on Chinese social media show the young fan leaping from the stands before sprinting toward the Argentine striker – who like him was wearing the number 10 jersey – and giving him a hug. A Chinese fan runs onto the pitch to hug soccer superstar Lionel Messi during a friendly match between Argentina and Australia at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing on June 15. Ng Han Guan/APWith the crowd cheering three security guards then give chase, the first of them falling over as the young fan evades his grasp. On Chinese social media, many users – football fans or otherwise – celebrated the young fan’s sprint across the grass pitch as a liberating moment.

Persons: Lionel Messi –, –, Messi, Lionel Messi, Ng Han Guan, Emiliano Martinez, ”, Thomas Peter, ” “ Messi, I’m, flailing, “ Organizations: Beijing CNN, Australia, Argentine, Workers, Global Times, Messi, Reuters, FIFA, De Football Association, Indonesia Locations: Beijing, Argentina, Australia, China, Jakarta

The department said its investigation found that the Hostess could have prevented the amputation injury a 29-year-old worker suffered while reassembling a pump at a company facility in Chicago. The investigation was launched after the company, which makes popular snacks like Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Donettes, reported the injury to the Labor Department. A Hostess spokesperson said on Friday that the company was reviewing the Labor Department's allegations, but declined to comment further on "pending investigations." The Labor Department has alleged that Hostess "failed to make sure shafts, sprockets and moving parts on equipment ... had required guarding in place to protect workers from contact with pinch points and moving parts." The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference, or contest the Labor Department findings.

Persons: Ding Dongs, Sukhvir Kaur, Ismail Shakil, Kathrine Jackson, Aurora Ellis Organizations: U.S . Labor Department, Hostess Brands, Labor Department, Labor, Safety, Health Administration, Employers, OSHA, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Ottawa, Washington

☆ Insurance employees reportedly threaten to quit after CEO backtracks on remote-work policy: 'I sold my house and moved closer to my grandkids'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Insurance company Farmers Group announced changes to the company's remote work policy last month, WSJ reports. Workers at insurance giant Farmers Group are reportedly threatening to quit or unionize after the company's new CEO backtracked on its remote work policy. "I sold my house and moved closer to my grandkids," another worker's comment read, according the Journal. Farmers Group spokesperson Carly Kraft told Insider over email that the company will shift to this hybrid work policy in September. The hybrid policy change will impact roughly 60% of the company's employees, Kraft wrote.

Persons: backtracked, Raul Vargas, Carly Kraft, Kraft, Meta, Jeff Dailey Organizations: Farmers Group, Workers, Employees, Farmers, Street, . Farmers Group, Amazon

☆ Elon Musk spent the last 24 hours spreading increasingly unhinged anti-trans content
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Paul Squire | Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

One of the world's richest men spent the last 24 hours sharing anti-trans content. Elon Musk promoted increasingly radical takes after right-wingers criticized him on Twitter. Elon Musk went all-in on sharing anti-transgender talking points after conservative pundits criticized him online on Thursday. In a tweet hours later to his millions of followers, Musk himself shared the video and declared "Every parent should watch this." As of Friday afternoon, Musk had pinned the tweet sharing the video to the top of his profile.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Matt Walsh, He's, Ron DeSantis, Ryan Mac, Brown, Walsh Organizations: Twitter, Morning, Daily, Twitter Republicans, Republican Party, SpaceX, GOP Florida Gov, Wall Street, New York Times, The Locations: masse

☆ Christians caught with a Bible in North Korea have faced death and had their families, including children, thrown in prison for life, a new report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

North Korea offers freedom of religion to its citizens on paper but not in practice. A recently released Department of State report notes that while North Korea constitutionally allows for religious freedom, there is no such thing in practice. One NGO, Open Doors USA, has reported that for Christians in North Korea, life is a "constant cauldron of pressure" and "capture or death is only a mistake away." The North Korea flag flutters next to barbed wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That report found that North Korea "denied the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion" and engaged in "crimes against humanity."

☆ The most dangerous place for retail workers might be right outside their stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Store parking lots can present dangers for workers and customers alike. Roughly half of all deaths one outlet recorded at retailers in early 2022 occurred in parking lots. The incident illustrates a particular danger for retail workers that lies not within the confines of their brick-and-mortar stores but outside them, in the parking lot. Many of them identified the parking lot as the place they felt most unsafe. Retail store's parking lots are the scene of both violence and accidentsA worker collects shopping carts from the parking lot of a Walmart store in Chicago.

☆ AI music could revolutionize the industry — and this artist is leading the way
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Drew Austin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Despite this widespread apprehension, Holly Herndon — an experimental musician and artist — doesn't think AI is nefarious or will ruin art. Herndon's usage of AI shows a way forward for not just artists but also the rest of us. In her blog post announcing Holly+, Herndon said she envisioned a future where digitally created voices "soon become standard practice for artists and other creatives." While the project has yielded an ever-growing array of fascinating art, Holly+ also raises questions about the future of that art. (Anyone can use the Holly+ voice tool itself without submitting the output to the DAO, however.)

☆ Is your job ruining your sleep? If so, this may be why
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Experiencing negative changes in workplace leadership and fairness was associated with the strongest long-term impact on a worker's sleep. LumiNola/E+/Getty ImagesSleep problems included initiating or maintaining sleep, poor-quality sleep and daytime tiredness two to four times a week that lasted one month to three months. Within a two-year period of time, over half of the participants (53%) reported changes in their workplace environment. However, if the changes at work were negative, sleep issues increased — in fact 1 in 4 people in the study with a worse job environment developed problems getting enough rest. Having negative changes in the leadership and fairness sector was associated with the greatest long-term impact on sleep, more than negative changes in coworker relationships or collaboration, the study found.

But Gilliam gave Borodaenko, who lives in Scotts Valley, California, three weeks to file an amended lawsuit further detailing his claims in the lawsuit, proposed as a class action. Borodaenko, a cancer survivor, claims that Twitter fired him in November when he refused to stop working remotely. The lawsuit is one of several that Twitter is facing stemming from Musk's decision to lay off about half of the company's workforce. Twitter has denied wrongdoing in those cases, including ones claiming that female employees were targeted for layoffs and that the company failed to pay promised severance. Liss-Riordan also represents nearly 2,000 former Twitter employees who have filed legal claims against the company in arbitration.

☆ How non-compete clauses cost Americans $300 billion a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Kate Sammer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The debate over the use and abuse of non-compete has come to a head, with the Federal Trade Commission proposing a new ban on non-competes. The FTC estimates that a ban on non-competes would expand career opportunities for 30 million Americans and increase wages by nearly $300 billion annually. Non-compete contracts were initially given to executive-level employees as a means to protect trade secrets. It is estimated that 18% of U.S. workers are bound by non-compete contracts. Watch the video above to learn more about the FTC's battle to ban non-compete contracts

☆ Cubans, waylaid by weather and fuel shortage, march for May Day five days late
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People gather at the seafront Malecon to watch the International Worker's Day celebration in Havana, Cuba May 5, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, May 5 (Reuters) - Cubans rallied on Havana's Malecon waterfront boulevard to celebrate International Worker's Day on Friday, five days after the planned May 1 event was called off due to foul weather and a fuel crisis that has crippled public transport on the island. "This year it was not possible, due to the fuel situation," said university professor Javier Sanchez, 24, as he cheered during the morning celebration. Though May 1 dawned clear in Havana, a wind and rain storm the previous day hindered preparations, leading Cuban officials to postpone the event until Friday. Cuban state-run media estimated that 100,000 Cubans had gathered on the Malecon by early Friday morning.

☆ Target CEO Brian Cornell earned 680 times its median employee's pay last year. And that was after he saw a pay cut.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The median employee — a part-time hourly worker — earned $25,993 for the full year. Cornell's pay ratio works out to 680 times that of the median worker, down from last year's figure of 775. That works out to a CEO-to-median worker pay ratio of 680 to one. McMillon's pay ratio was even higher, earning 933 times the typical worker's annual pay. Most companies argue that the mandatory CEO pay ratio figure should not be used to compare different types of businesses.

☆ A Minnesota lawmaker cast his vote in a Zoom meeting shirtless and lying in bed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Minnesota lawmaker briefly appeared without a shirt on a live-streamed Zoom meeting. State Sen. Calvin Bahr also appeared to be lying in bed during Monday's legislative meeting. Minnesota State Sen. Calvin Bahr briefly appeared on screen shirtless when the state's Office of the Legislative Auditor met virtually to hold a vote. He was visible for no more than a second before the camera swiftly panned up and his screen turned black, displaying just his name. Bahr, a Republican, joined the Minnesota Senate earlier this year after serving in the state's House of Representatives for six years.

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