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Anna Sebastian Perayil died in July, four months after joining the Pune office of Ernst & Young, one of the “Big Four” accounting firms. In a LinkedIn post on Thursday, Ernst & Young India chairman Rajiv Memani acknowledged Augustine’s letter and said he was “deeply saddened” by what had happened. “This is a systemic issue that goes beyond individual managers or teams,” Augustine wrote. So for many on social media, Perayil’s death was also an indictment of the broader work culture in India, where young job seekers face fierce competition. “Like many in her position, she did not have the experience or the agency to draw boundaries or push back against unreasonable demands,” Augustine wrote.

Persons: Anna Sebastian Perayil, Ernst & Young, Anita Augustine, “, ” Augustine, ”, Young, Ernst, Rajiv Memani, ” Memani, Shobha Karandlaje, Perayil, Augustine, Narayana Murthy Organizations: Pune, Ernst, NBC News, Young, Indian Express, Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, World Bank, International Labor Organization, Infosys, LinkedIn Locations: India, Indian, Japan, South Korea, China

☆ Tech titans love Modi's economic powerhouse India — despite mass unemployment and abject poverty
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Youth unemployment, income inequality, regional disparities, and Russian oil remain big problems. But the work starts there, as he'll have to navigate thorny issues such as youth unemployment, income inequality, and reliance on sanctioned Russian oil. "The other key economic policy was JAM — the trinity of bank accounts for the poor, mobile numbers and a biometric card. Indian demand for Russian oil has cooled in recent months as new sanctions have made it more expensive, but the buying remains controversial. Alexandr Demyanchuk/AFP/Getty ImagesIndia the IT hubUnder Modi, India has made big strides in modernizing its economy, combating bureaucracy, and appealing to foreign investors.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, Tim Cook, —, Modi, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan's Dimon, He's, Musk, Apple's Cook, Joe Biden, Sundar Pichai, Anna Moneymaker, Jensen Huang, Satya Nadella, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, Richard Rossow, Demonetisation, Kunal Sen, Sen, Tim Graham, Rossow, tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, Isha Piramal, Rihanna, Shloka Mehta Ambani, Akash Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Anant, Radhika, Ambani, they'd, Neelima Jain, Vladimir Putin, Alexandr Demyanchuk, Sanjay Shetty, Shetty Organizations: Service, titans, Monetary Fund, Gross, World Bank, Economic, of New, Google, Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, India, Studies, Center for Strategic & International Studies, United Nations, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics, University of Manchester, International Labor Organization, Oxfam, Bloomberg, Reliance Industries, Adani, CSIS, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Getty, Modi, Big Tech, Randstad, Economic Times Locations: India, Britain, Japan, Germany, China, of New York, Nimaj, Rajasthan, North Korea, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Western, Samarkand, AFP, Randstad India

☆ It’s time to give caregivers more support
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Katia Hetter | Phyllis Fagell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Conversations with a wide variety of caregivers, paid and unpaid, helped her realize she wasn’t alone. And yet we are very isolated now, more isolated than ever—and isolation does not work for caregivers. This is bigger than the retail sector and yet so many caregivers are made to feel as though our efforts are small–and not worthy of support. Elissa Strauss: Whether someone is caring for an adult parent, a sick spouse or a child, caregivers are failed across the board. CNN: How could we as individuals support caregivers more?

Persons: Phyllis L, —, Jay Leno, Mavis, Benjamin Shmikler, Elissa Strauss, there’s, Elissa Strauss Laura Turbow Strauss, ”, Strauss, “, wasn’t, Caregiving, Charles Darwin ., Darwin, wouldn’t, I’m, it’s, Simon, Schuster Elissa Strauss, we’re, I’ve, doesn’t, you’re, we’ve Organizations: CNN, “, Roxy, Los Angeles Superior, Others, ” CNN, International Labor Organization Locations: West Hollywood, United States

☆ Açai berries and child labor: How children in Brazil are climbing 70-foot-high trees to pick the superfood
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Julia Vargas Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Picking berries to help feed his familyLucas Oliveira, 13, of the Fazendinha village outside Macapá, is one of these children. The stories of harvesters who’ve fallen from trees are numerous — some have had severe injuries and never walked again. Açaí harvesters expose themselves to the perils of the rainforest. Of those, at least 756,000 worked in what the International Labor Organization calls the worst forms of child labor, which includes “dangerous” conditions. Dozens of times a day, Lucas Oliveira climbs trees to bring down heavy bunches of açaí.

Persons: —, ”, Lucas Oliveira, Wengleston, Julia Vargas Jones Lucas, ” Lucas, Lucas, “, he’s, ” Wengleston, Julia Vargas Jones, they’re, Allan Bruno, Bruno, ” Bruno, aren’t Organizations: Brazil CNN —, CNN, International Labor Organization, Brazil’s Public Ministry of Labor Locations: Macapá, Brazil, Igarapé da Fortaleza, Pará, Amapá

☆ China is getting hyped over a suggestion that people get more than 5 days of paid time off
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Current laws give employees five days of annual paid time off, which increases to 10 days after they have worked 10 years, and 15 days if they have worked for 20 years or more. Fok's proposal would let young workers scale their annual leave from five to 10 days until they hit the 10-year mark. His suggestion sparked hopes on Weibo, China's version of X, that the country might soon align with international paid leave standards. The International Labor Organization recommends three weeks of paid annual leave. AdvertisementShanghai-based outlet The Paper ran an informal poll on Tuesday, asking if its readers felt they could take vacation days.

Persons: —, Kenneth Fok, Fok, we've, Jack Ma Organizations: Service, People's, China Youth, International Labor Organization, China, Daily, Business, Ministry of Human Resources, Social Security, Pew Research Center Locations: China, Hong Kong, Kong, Beijing, Weibo, Shanghai

The U.N.-backed International Labor Organization says reforms introduced following the World Cup have improved the situation of migrant workers, while adding that more needs to be done. Meanwhile, human rights group Amnesty International says migrant workers still face abuses. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesLast November, Amnesty urged Qatar and FIFA to do more for migrant workers - particularly in terms of compensation. Migrant workers collect litter, serve coffee, drive taxis and provide security. The number of work-related deaths in the delivery of the World Cup came under intense scrutiny in the lead-up.

Persons: Jordan, Stephen Cockburn, ″, ”, Max Tunon, ” Tunon, it’s, “, ” Cockburn, ” ___ James Robson Organizations: Qatar, International Labor Organization, Amnesty International, “, AP, FIFA, Qatari, Workers, ILO Locations: DOHA, Qatar, Doha, Kenya, Ghana, Saudi Arabia

☆ A shorter workweek is gaining ground as another major pilot program prepares to kick off
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The four-day workweek has been successful elsewhereThe Dominican Republic will be the first Caribbean country to test a shorter workweek, according to the country's Ministry of Labor. Other lawmakers, like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have also voiced support for a shorter workweek. AdvertisementMost four-day workweek programs are voluntary for companies, and many countries have no legislation that requires a shorter workweek. With continued positive data, it's possible that the US and other countries could see the shorter workweek implemented into law. Have you been a part of a four-day workweek pilot program or do you work at a company adopting the schedule?

Persons: —, What's, Mark Takano, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders Organizations: Employees, Service, International Labor Organization, country's Ministry of Labor, Economic, Revenue, Democratic, Education, Workforce, Labor Locations: Dominican Republic, Latin America, Claro, Caribbean, Australia, United Kingdom, Zealand, Chile, Colombia, Mexico's, Vermont

☆ A woman said her boss was 'so chill' for not making her work while she was literally giving birth
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Andrew Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tamara Drpić posted a video of herself in hospital after an epidural, checking in with her boss. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA woman who said she sent her manager a work update from the hospital before giving birth has been dubbed an example of everything that's wrong with corporate America. Several commenters wrote they had also continued to work when they were in labor, or when they were hospitalized under other circumstances.

Persons: Tamara Drpić, Drpić, —, ong, ellbeing, Organizations: Service, America, ust Locations: America, ife

☆ Gaza’s economy is in ruins as Israel-Hamas war sets development back decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Mahmud Hams | Afp | Getty ImagesWar-battered Gaza's already fragile economy lies in ruins, much like its buildings, following more than a month of bombings by Israel after Hamas militants attacked the country in October. "Gaza's economy is 100% dependent on two sources of revenue: foreign aid and access to Israel's labor market. According to the United Nations, during the 1970s and 1980s, the Palestinian economy saw relatively strong capital inflows, largely due to remittances from Palestinian workers in Israel and the Gulf countries. Things changed after Hamas gained power in Gaza in 2006 when Israel relinquished its control of the enclave. The U.N. classifies Israel as an occupier state over the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mahmud Hams, Gazans, Marko Papic, Kevin Klowden Milken, Kevin Klowden, Israel, Raja Khalidi, Klowden, Khalidi Organizations: Afp, Getty, United Nations, Food, Clocktower, CNBC, West Bank, Economic Policy Research, International Labor Organization, United Nations Development, Milken Institute, Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute, Hamas, Palestinian Authority Locations: Gaza, Mahmud, Israel, Ramallah, West, Santa Monica , California, Egypt, Palestine, Saudi, Palestinian

LONDON (AP) — One year after Qatar hosted the men’s World Cup, the gas-rich emirate and soccer governing body FIFA were urged Thursday by human rights group Amnesty International to do more for migrant workers who were essential to prepare the tournament and still face labor abuses. FIFA, under a different leadership, is now embarked on a similar journey toward Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup in 2034. “Qatar’s continued failure to properly enforce or strengthen its pre-World Cup labor reforms puts any potential legacy for workers in serious peril,” Amnesty said. A key point for activists and some FIFA member federations has been compensating the families of workers in Qatar who were injured or died. Weeks before the World Cup started, FIFA’s top lawyer had said it was open to helping create a compensation fund.

Persons: ”, Steve Cockburn, “ Qatar’s, “, Weeks, Michael Llamas Organizations: —, Qatar, FIFA, Amnesty, Progress, “ Qatar, United Nations, International Labor Organization, Labor, ” Amnesty, InBev, Budweiser, ” FIFA, “, ILO, Ministry of Labor Locations: Qatar, United States, Saudi Arabia, Gibraltar, “, Geneva

Globally, as many as 128,000 fishers face threats of violence, debt bondage, excessive overtime and other conditions indicative of forced labor, according to the U.N.'s International Labor Organization. U.S. and European companies are under increasing pressure to clean up supply chains in labor-intensive industries where worker abuse is widespread. But ZheJiang Hairong in a statement last year to the state-owned Fujian Daily claimed ownership of only five of the 10 vessels that would later appear on the Financial Transparency Coalition's list. Pingtan last year was sanctioned by the Biden administration over allegations of illegal fishing and labor abuse. The Financial Transparency Coalition scoured government reports, media accounts and complaints by advocacy groups to come up with a list of 475 individual vessels suspected of forced labor since 2010.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Beth Lowell, Pingtan, Biden, Fu Ting, Wanqing Chen Organizations: MIAMI, Financial, Coalition, D.C, Walton Family Foundation, AP, Associated Press, International Labor Organization . U.S, Force, Group, Seven, Atmospheric Administration, Ocean Fisheries Co, Pingtan Marine Enterprises, China National Fisheries Corp, Fujian Daily, New York Stock Exchange, Washington , D.C Locations: Washington, China, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, United States, U.S, Oceana, Panama, Belize, ZheJiang, Fujian, Washington ,, Beijing, Investigative@ap.org

☆ These are the countries with the shortest and longest workweeks—and where the U.S. stands
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Ece Yildirim | In Ecedyildirim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Here are the 5 countries with the shortest average workweeks, according to data from the International Labor Organization:Vanuatu: 24.7 hours average per week per employed person24.7 hours average per week per employed person Kiribati: 27.3 hours average per week per employed person27.3 hours average per week per employed person Mozambique: 28.6 hours average per week per employed person28.6 hours average per week per employed person Rwanda: 28.8 hours average per week per employed person28.8 hours average per week per employed person Austria: 29.5 hours average per week per employed personThese are the 5 countries with the longest workweeks, according to the ILO:United Arab Emirates: 52.6 hours average per week per employed person52.6 hours average per week per employed person Gambia: 50.8 hours average per week per employed person50.8 hours average per week per employed person Bhutan: 50.7 hours average per week per employed person50.7 hours average per week per employed person Lesotho: 49.8 hours average per week per employed person49.8 hours average per week per employed person Congo: 48.6 hours average per week per employed personIt is important to note that the distribution of these hours is not necessarily even. In the UAE, 46% of those employed work for more than 49 hours a week, which is considered the 'excessive working limit' by the ILO. In comparison, only 8% of those employed in Austria work over the excessive working limit. In a survey conducted by the Randstad Workmonitor, 43% of Americans said they felt compelled to be available to their employers outside of regular work hours. In a separate survey, Morning Consult reported that 51% of Americans support slower employee response time outside of work hours, which is the norm in the European workplace.

Organizations: International Labor Organization, ILO, United, Union worker's, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, CNBC Locations: Vanuatu, Kiribati, Mozambique, Rwanda, Austria, United Arab Emirates, Gambia, Bhutan, Lesotho, Congo, UAE, South Korea, China, Russia, India, United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Norway

☆ AI is going to eliminate way more jobs than anyone realizes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Emil Skandul | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

We didn't see the internet coming, but AI is within viewThe adoption of groundbreaking technology is often hard to predict. The World Economic Forum estimated 83 million jobs worldwide would be lost over the next five years because of AI, with 69 million jobs created — that leaves 14 million jobs that will cease to exist during that timeframe. In the US, the knowledge-worker class is estimated to be nearly 100 million workers, one out of three Americans. The small and large compounding effects of productivity growth across many industries are central to the growth trajectory and the long-run effects of AI. This is an alarmingly trivial amount for an economy of $25 trillion GDP and over 150 million workers.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Joseph Schumpeter, Bill Gates, David Letterman, Paul Krugman, Erik Brynjolfsson, —, Brynjolfsson, Robert Solow, Robert Gordon, provocatively, It's, Gordon, David Autor, Maria Flynn, Flynn, –, Georgia –, Emil Skandul, Tony Blair Organizations: McKinsey, Newsweek, Stanford University, Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco, Economic, International Labor Organization, Organization for Economic Co, Development, MIT, Congressional, Office, Department of Labor, Tony Blair Institute Locations: Washington, Singapore, New York, Georgia

☆ Exclusive: As US navigates summer of strikes, Biden's top labor adviser exits, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Her departure comes at a critical time for an administration dealing with a summer of labor unrest, with estimates from national labor unions showing more than 650,000 U.S. workers were on or threatened strikes in the first half of 2023. At the White House, Drake advised Biden and his team on labor negotiations that had a direct impact on the country's supply chain and the economy, current and former White House officials said. Responding to concerns around the timing of her departure, Deese said, the White House has planned for this transition and it will be able to maintain its "strong focus on labor." The White House did not comment on Drake's potential successor. The source said another key Biden labor adviser, Erika Dinkel-Smith, was recently promoted to the position of senior labor adviser within the White House's Office of Political Strategy.

Persons: Joe Biden, Marty Walsh, Celeste Drake, Kevin, Read, Joe Biden's, Drake, Biden, we've, Brian Deese, Deese, Erika Dinkel, Smith, Seth Harris, Biden's, Julie Su, Jeff Zients, Drake's, Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Labor, White, REUTERS, International Labor Organization, Hollywood, General Motors, Ford Motor, Chrysler, Workers, UPS, Teamsters, Democratic, National Economic Council, NEC, Political, AFL, America, Management, Budget, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Geneva, Switzerland, U.S, Washington

☆ World Bank set to launch more robust, transparent business climate rankings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - The World Bank will announce on Monday a new methodology for assessing the business climate in up to 180 countries after embarrassing revelations of data irregularities and favoritism toward China forced it to cancel the "Doing Business" rankings two years ago. "Business Ready improves upon and replaces the World Bank Group’s earlier Doing Business project. It reflects a more balanced and transparent approach toward evaluating a country’s business and investment climate," the bank said in a statement. "The main thing that went wrong was the data integrity of Doing Business was compromised," Norman Loayza, director of the World Bank's Indicators Group, which leads the project, told Reuters. But World Bank officials were still debating whether to revive the business climate rankings that were at the heart of the "Doing Business" controversy or produce an overall index, Loayza said, with a decision expected prior to the first report.

☆ Here's a look at how work-life balance compares in the US, France, Australia, and the UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Jordan Hart | Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Insider compared the work-life balance of the US, France, Australia, and the UK. The clip prompted Insider to look into how work-life balance in the US compares to other developed countries like the UK, France, and Australia. In the US, employees worked more than in the UK, France, and Australia at an average of 1,750 hours per year, the report found. UKGetty ImagesIn a 2023 worldwide work-life balance index by Forbes, the UK claimed five spots in the top 25 cities with the best work-life balance. "I'm among those who think it's important to have a work-life balance," Culleron told Insider.

☆ Analysis: Panama and First Quantum harden battle lines over key copper mine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Valentine Hilaire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

However, no agreement was forthcoming, prompting the two sides to raise the stakes to protect their interests in the mine, known as Cobre Panama. "Cobre Panama is the only metal mine operating in the country and many foreign companies started operations in Panama with its arrival. Failure to reach a deal could spook foreign investors at a time when Panama is looking to develop three other copper deposits that could bring in similar investments to Cobre Panama, said Morales. First Quantum paid $61 million in royalties to Panama's government in 2021, while the Cobre Panama mine posted sales revenues of $3.2 billion for the year, company data show. LUCRATIVE ASSETIn 2021, Cobre Panama represented more than half of First Quantum's earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

Follow along for live coverage of the World Cup. Morgan had asked for "the honest, realistic total" of migrant workers who had died in the course of contributing to projects somehow related to the World Cup. The figure has not previously appeared in official reports from the Supreme Committee or FIFA, soccer's global body. There are about 2 million migrant workers in Qatar — an estimated 95 percent of the country’s total working population. Thousands of young men from south Asia worked on this and other World Cup projects.

☆ How Qatar ended up hosting the World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With the World Cup now underway in Qatar, many are wondering how this moment arrived – that a tiny Gulf nation with little footballing history ended up hosting the biggest event the sport has to offer. The country’s World Cup debut was 12 years in the making, a period in which Qatar’s host status has stirred controversy within the footballing community and beyond. Those included a lack of existing infrastructure and the region’s intense heat in the summer, when World Cup tournaments are traditionally held. But questions about just how Qatar won the right to stage the World Cup continue. Meanwhile, Qatar’s state-backed discrimination against LGBTQ people has also been criticized in the years leading up to the World Cup.

☆ Shein factory employees are working 18-hour days for pennies per garment and washing their hair on lunch breaks because they have so little time off, new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Workers who make clothes sold on Shein get as little as 4 cents for each item they make, according to a new investigation. They often work 18-hour days with one day off per month, Channel 4 and The i newspaper reported. Some workers even wash their hair on their lunch breaks because they have so little time left after work, according to the report. Employees are hit with a fine amounting to two-thirds of their daily wages if they make even one mistake, according to the report. In one of the factories, female employees washed their hair on their lunch breaks because there is so little time left after work.

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