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☆ An Ohio restaurant 'forced' servers to work 60 hours a week for just $10 in wages plus tips, the Department of Labor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Mexican restaurant in Ohio paid its servers just $10 a week plus tips, a DOL investigation found. Servers were "forced" to cash their paychecks then pay their wages back in cash, the DOL said. They were only allowed to keep tips plus $20 per two-week pay period, the DOL said. Servers, who worked an average of 60 hours a week, were only allowed to keep the tips they earned plus $20 per two-week pay period, the DOL said. The restaurant was ordered to pay $245,509 in back wages to six servers and 12 cooks.

☆ Instead of paying adults more, some states might let companies hire kids as young as 14 to fill the labor shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Republicans in some states are proposing exceptions to child labor regulations. Lawmakers in Iowa and Minnesota have introduced legislation in the last month proposing exceptions to child labor regulations in their respective states, due to the persisting labor shortage hitting them particularly hard. "A lot of the child labor jobs are menial jobs and those skills aren't transferrable," she said. The proposed laws skirt around the child labor requirements outlined by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Research shows that these workers aren't averse to meatpacking work entirely — they're just not willing to do it for the current wage standard.

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In a letter addressed to Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, the group of Democratic lawmakers, led by Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee, pressed the department "to take immediate action to rid Hyundai's supply chain of child labor." The news agency reported that state and federal authorities were investigating as many as ten suppliers for potential child labor violations there. In their letter to Walsh, the lawmakers commended the Labor Department for its enforcement actions in the matter so far. After Reuters' first story about child labor at SMART last July, the department and Alabama state authorities launched a probe into the supplier. The lawmakers said they want the Labor Department to take further action because "additional automotive parts suppliers for Hyundai, mainly in Alabama, are also suspected of child labor violations."

☆ Why you won't see many car ads during Sunday's Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The average cost of a 30-second commercial during last year's Super Bowl was $6.5 million, up more than $2 million over 2016 rates. Automakers — historically among the largest Super Bowl advertisers — are mostly bypassing this Sunday's NFL championship game to preserve cash or spend ad dollars elsewhere. And EV startup Polestar, whose ad was a success in the 2022 Super Bowl, said it will also not advertise this year. Ferrell also appeared in GM's Super Bowl ad promoting EVs two years ago. Stellantis has not released its ads, while GM, Kia and WeatherTech released their commercials earlier this week.

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"We share Congresswoman Sewell's view that the use of child labor is unacceptable," Hyundai said. Sewell's comments are the first from a high-ranking Alabama official on child labor problems in Hyundai's supply chain. The new actions by Hyundai and its discussions with regulators and lawmakers come after Reuters documented child labor in various Alabama auto plants making parts for Hyundai or Kia. The child labor reports have put a spotlight on Hyundai's growing operations in the United States. Regulatory fines for child labor, by contrast, can be relatively small.

☆ IT Job Market Shrinks for First Time in Over Two Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Belle Lin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

The job market for information-technology professionals shrank in January for the first time in over two years, a sign that IT staffers are facing the same scrutiny as workers in other positions and sectors as companies slow spending. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CIO Journal The Morning Download delivers daily insights and news on business technology from the CIO Journal team. The McLean, Va.-based bank said those roles would be absorbed by its existing engineering teams and product managers. Still, employment in the overall technology sector hasn’t wavered, according to IT trade group CompTIA. “Not only do we need to provide capabilities to propel the business forward, but we need the best engineering tools, modern architectures and people in the right roles to respond to changing market conditions,” Ms. Caldas said.

☆ Amid food inflation, more shoppers turn to dollar stores for groceries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article DLTRDG Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA man looks at frozen foods for sale at a Dollar Store in Alhambra, California on August 23, 2022. For some, that means shopping at their local dollar store. Dollar stores are pulling in more grocery shoppers'It's about making your dollar go a little further'These days, shoppers are considering alternatives, especially if it means better prices, said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews. It's important to check the unit price and compare with the offerings at other stores, including Walmart and Trader Joe's, Ramhold said. ("The Dollar Store Cookbook," available on Amazon, has recipes that are mostly limited to such pantry-stable ingredients, including a creamed tuna on toast made with canned tuna and cream of celery soup.)

☆ A laid-off Meta worker says she's struggling after not getting the 16 weeks of severance her fellow employees received: 'I'm going through my kids' closet and selling their old clothes'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Meta employees who were laid off at the end of last year received 16 weeks or more of severance pay. In addition to those four months of pay, employees were offered two additional weeks of severance for every year at the company, with no limit. Those workers received fewer weeks of severance and insurance than other Meta employees — they were given only the amount of pay necessary to comply with federal law. Beyond that, Levy told Insider that she wasn't offered any other severance pay, only three months of health insurance. But she's in a tough spot with limited severance pay, and she said that the $450 ceiling for unemployment benefits in California is not keeping up with the cost of living.

☆ Working 11-hour days backstage on Broadway: 'You have to be a little bit crazy' but 'I love it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

On a Wednesday matinee performance of Broadway's "& Juliet," assistant company manager Annie Schroeder is making the rounds backstage. Schroeder's school hosted an annual drag show that raised money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. 'I kind of describe [Broadway] as like a food chain'It takes dozens of people to put on a Broadway show. This includes hiring the company managers, who are responsible for payroll, policy enforcement and meeting the day-to-day needs of select patrons, cast and crew. "& Juliet" stage as seen from behind the sound booth.

☆ Federal regulators tell Amazon that the 'gamification' of its warehouses contributes to a 'high risk of serious' injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon was cited again by federal regulators alleging its warehouse workers face "high" injury risks. Regulators said a "gamification system" encouraged working at a fast pace that could pose injury. Amazon said it is cooperating with investigators and that it has worked to lower injury rates. In a letter targeting the warehouse in Idaho, OSHA said Amazon should change its "gamification system to eliminate incentives for excessively paced work." In recent months, Amazon has been hit by similar OSHA citations relating to injury risks facing workers, and to how it tracked and monitored those injuries.

☆ Getir lays off 100 employees in the latest sign of trouble for the rapid-delivery startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Getir laid off roughly 100 US corporate employees this week, Insider has learned. Getir's US arm has struggled to pay store employees properly and held them to strict time goals. Before the layoffs, Getir's Slack channel for US employees contained roughly 260 corporate employees. In 2022, Insider reported on the conditions that Getir employees faced filling and delivering orders at the company's US stores. Getir also struggled to pay store employees in full and on-time, several told Insider.

☆ Amazon Cited by Labor Department for Hazards at Three Additional Warehouses
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Sebastian Herrera | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Amazon distribution facility in Aurora, Colo., was among the workplaces cited for safety violations. Federal labor authorities have cited Amazon.com Inc. for safety violations at three of its warehouses, adding to previous citations the company has faced in a broad review of its workplace practices. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday it issued citations to Amazon following inspections at facilities in Aurora, Colo., Nampa, Idaho, and Castleton, N.Y. The citations follow three recent citations by the department at different Amazon sites in Florida, Illinois and New York for similar safety issues.

☆ Amazon cited by Labor Department for second time in a month over warehouse injuries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal safety inspectors on Wednesday issued citations against Amazon at three of its warehouses for putting workers at risk of serious injury, the second such penalty in a month. The move comes after OSHA last month cited Amazon for failing to keep workers safe at three other facilities. "Amazon's operating methods are creating hazardous work conditions and processes, leading to serious worker injuries," said Doug Parker, assistant secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, in a statement. Amazon also faces a separate investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office's civil division that centers around worker safety hazards at the e-retailer's facilities nationwide. As part of the probe, investigators are also looking into whether Amazon has accurately reported worker injuries and if it misrepresented those injuries to lenders to obtain credit.

☆ Want a 4-day work week? Move to Maryland, where the government is pushing for it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Maryland lawmakers introduced a bill that would incentivize employers to adopt a four-day work week. Employers and employees are beginning to see the benefits of a shorter work weekAmerican workers are expressing interest in a shorter work week. Companies outside of the UK that have experimented with a shorter work week also said that they have seen their profits and productivity jump as a result. California and national law makers have introduced similar bills to shorten the work week, though they have stalled and failed, respectively. "I think the question is not if, but when America is going to move to a shorter work week."

☆ Maryland bill would subsidize employers that pilot a 4-day work week
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In a first-of-its-kind proposal in the United States, some Maryland lawmakers want to subsidize employers that choose to experiment with a 4-day workweek. While many 4-day workweek experiments have been conducted recently in the US and Europe, no US state has offered to subsidize the cost of the experiment for its employers, Stewart added. Employers that participate would have flexibility over how they allow workers to organize their shorter workweek, Stewart said. “It may be more advantageous to have different approaches.”The experiment should include both blue-collar and white-collar employers, Stewart added. So if there is huge interest by employers, Maryland’s Department of Labor will have to select which ones may participate.

The issue brief stated that a "10% increase in median childcare prices was associated with 1 percentage-point lower county-level maternal employment rates." "High childcare prices and minimal public childcare investments are especially detrimental to employment among mothers with lower wages, as childcare affordability is out of reach," the researchers wrote. Childcare costs have outpaced inflation during the pandemic, according to one recent report, and the lion's share of childcare duties have fallen on women during the pandemic, causing them to leave the workforce en masse. Childcare workers made a mean hourly wage of $13.31 as of 2021, with the bottom 10% earning about $9 an hour. That's as childcare workers are more than twice as likely to live below the poverty line as those in other industries.

☆ Jim Cramer's Investing Club meeting Monday: Dow stocks, Fed, Ford
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. Stick to Dow stocks Watch wage inflation Monitor Ford price cuts 1. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ Jobs report to give clues about where economy is headed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Investors will get another clue when the January jobs report is released on Friday. Economists predict that 185,000 jobs were added last month, a slowdown from the gain of 223,000 jobs in December and 263,000 in November. A further deceleration in the labor market would likely please the Fed, as it would show that last year’s rate hikes are successfully taking some air out of the economy. Along those lines, average hourly earnings, a measure of wages that is also part of the monthly jobs report, are expected to increase 4.3% year-over year. So far, tech earnings season is not off to an inspiring start, with Microsoft (MSFT), Intel (INTC) and IBM (IBM) all reporting weak results.

☆ U.S. unemployment system still plagued by delays 3 years after pandemic-era downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesThese days the U.S. unemployment system is somewhat of an anomaly. At the pandemic-era nadir, just 52% got a "timely" first payment of unemployment insurance, for example. Unemployment claims spiked as businesses closed amid stay-at-home orders to contain the virus' spread. States get funding based on their administrative workload, like the volume of claims states are paying. That's especially true for one CARES Act program, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

The states filed a complaint in a federal court in Amarillo, Texas, on Thursday arguing that the rule finalized in November will lead many retirement plans to focus on a social agenda rather than long-term financial stability for investors. The rule, which takes effect on Monday, reverses restrictions on socially conscious investing that were adopted by the Trump administration. The states in Thursday's lawsuit said the new rule fails to justify the departure from Trump-era regulations, in violation of the federal law governing rulemaking. And, the states said, it violates the U.S. law that regulates employee benefit plans by failing to protect retirement assets. The case is Utah v. Walsh, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, No.

☆ A 4-day workweek might be coming to Maryland: 'We could be on the verge of a win-win situation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A four-day workweek could be coming to Maryland. A new bill introduced by Maryland lawmakers this month incentivizes both public and private employers to experiment with a shortened workweek without cutting pay and benefits. Under the program, businesses that shift at least 30 employees from a 40-hour week down to 32 could get a state tax credit. The bill also encourages state and municipal government agencies to implement a shorter workweek and report their results. Following a six-month trial, workers said their performance improved and their levels of burnout went down.

☆ The rest of the US can learn a lot from how New Mexico is tackling the childcare crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

New Mexico is the first state to dedicate permanent funding for childcare. The amendment, which was the result of nearly a year of campaigning by thousands of childcare workers across the state, made New Mexico the first in the nation to allocate permanent funding to childcare. "New Mexico is a leader right now," Cindy Lehnhoff, Director of the National Child Care Association, told Insider. "Economies of scale do not apply to child care in the same way as with other economic sectors," Taryn Morrissey, an associate professor of public policy at American University, told Insider. The experts agree the best solution ties back to what New Mexico is doing right now: expanding government childcare funding.

☆ If you're a gig worker, your boss might be using a technicality to underpay you
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many workers are classified by employers as independent contractors, rather than employees. The Biden administration has proposed a rule making it easier for gig workers to be counted as employees. NELP finds that 10% to 30% of employers — and potentially more — misclassify workers as independent contractors, "which indicates that several million workers nationally may be misclassified." Truck drivers misclassified as independent contractors may lose between $11,076 and $18,053, according to EPI's estimates. The Biden administration is taking aim at misclassification, hoping to crack down on it and offer an easier pathway for independent contractors to be considered employees.

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