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☆ Dollar General hit by more worker safety fines at Florida, Alabama stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dollar General has been hit with more fines for worker safety violations, this time for issues at three Southeast stores amounting to $387,000, the Department of Labor said Thursday. Dollar General did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the past 11 months, dozens of similar violations were identified at 19 stores in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, the agency said. In August, Dollar General was hit with nearly $1.3 million in fines for similar violations at three of the company's Georgia locations. In August, rival Dollar Tree was also fined $1.2 million by OSHA for worker safety violations.

☆ Gen Zers won't even apply to a job if the salary isn't listed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Gen Zers value transparency and are generally more open to having salary discussions than previous generations," said Adobe's global head of university talent. While some US graduates and future talent may want to know pay when they are looking for jobs, some states actually have pay transparency laws. Pay transparency laws can have pros for employers, current workers, and job seekers. It can also save time, Zweig said, noting that "workers won't apply to firms that don't meet their compensation expectations." "In addition to simplifying the offer negotiation process, salary transparency helps employers close wage gaps across gender, race, and background," Sabhahit told Insider.

☆ Google parent Alphabet is cutting 12,000 jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Google parent Alphabet is eliminating about 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, the company said Friday, in the latest cuts to shake the technology sector. “Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth,” Pichai said in the email. Google’s job cuts are just the latest in a bruising wave of tech layoffs, as inflation weighs on consumer spending and rising interest rates squeeze funding. “While layoffs from high-profile firms make the headlines, plenty of firms are desperate for more workers, especially tech workers. “The labor market is still so tight that many tech workers, and workers with other skills, are snapped up well before they need to collect an unemployment check.

☆ One chart shows that a much-feared wave of mass layoffs has yet to crash into the US economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Despite widely-covered job cuts at some big companies, mass layoffs have yet to emerge in the broader economy. The Department of Labor data shows that there hasn't been a large climb in US initial jobless claims. Instead, seasonally adjusted claims have been relatively low week after week, unlike back in March 2020 when claims soared and peaked in early April. That strongly suggests that the overall US economy isn't seeing the kind of large-scale layoffs that typically mark a recession. And data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) program also shows shows layoffs in the US have been low.

☆ Amazon Cited by Labor Department for Hazards at Three Warehouses
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Sebastian Herrera | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In recent years, Amazon has recorded higher injury rates than delivery-industry peers, federal labor data has shown. Federal authorities have cited Amazon .com Inc. for safety violations at three of its warehouses. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday it had issued citations to the company after inspections at facilities in Florida, Illinois and New York.

☆ U.S. agency says Amazon.com exposed workers to safety hazards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File PhotoNEW YORK, Jan 18 (Reuters) - A U.S. government agency on Wednesday issued citations against Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) for failing to keep warehouse workers safe, by exposing them to ergonomic hazards that resulted in serious injuries. The agency said workers at the Florida facility were also exposed to "struck-by" hazards, where merchandise that was unevenly stacked or not secured was susceptible to collapse. Doug Parker, the head of OSHA, said Amazon's processes were "designed for speed but not safety, and they resulted in serious worker injuries." Amazon has said it invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually to ensure worker safety. Safety concerns, including after the deaths of six workers when an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, collapsed during a December 2021 tornado, have helped spur union campaigns at Amazon warehouses across the country.

☆ Amazon is breaking the law by putting warehouse workers at risk for back and joint injuries, federal regulators say in new citations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Federal safety regulators fined Amazon $60,269 for putting workers at risk for back, joint injuries. Injuries linked to the "high frequency" of "repetitive tasks" at Amazon warehouses, regulators said. The citations are the latest in a series of regulatory actions targeting Amazon's warehouse injuries. Workers at Amazon warehouses are four times as likely to suffer such injuries as workers in non-Amazon warehouses, a review of Washington state workers' compensation data showed. Federal safety inspectors with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited three Amazon warehouses, in Florida, Illinois and New York.

☆ US Labor Department accuses Amazon of failing to keep warehouse workers safe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Amazon has been accused by federal safety regulators of failing to keep warehouse workers safe from workplace hazards at three US facilities, in the latest example of government officials scrutinizing the e-commerce giant’s labor practices. The Department of Labor said Wednesday that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Amazon and issued hazard letters related to injury risks from workers lifting packages after inspecting three warehouse facilities in Deltona, Florida; Waukegan, Illinois; and New Windsor, New York. An Amazon spokesperson said the company “strongly” disagrees with OSHA’s claims and intends to appeal. “We’ve cooperated fully, and the government’s allegations don’t reflect the reality of safety at our sites,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, told CNN in a statement Wednesday. But Amazon is also known for carefully tracking worker productivity and for working conditions that have been called “grueling.”“We have to keep up with the pace,” Jennifer Bates, an Amazon warehouse employee who helped organize a union push at an Alabama facility, said in testimony before the Senate Budget Committee in 2021.

☆ Rolling back laws that set minimum wages for construction workers meant pay shrunk, jobs got more dangerous, and workers had to rely more on public assistance
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new study looks at the impact of rolling back prevailing wage laws on wages and workers. Prevailing wage laws set pay standards for government contract workers, particularly construction workers. Researchers Frank Manzo, Robert Bruno, and Larissa Petrucci examine the impact of repealing prevailing wage laws — laws that essentially set minimum wages for construction workers on government contracts. Historically, prevailing wage laws have helped plug labor shortages, and contractors could have trouble competing with higher-paying competitors across the country. Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Michigan all repealed their prevailing wage laws between 2015 and 2018.

Math is important, but there are still plenty of ways to make a living without it. Here are 24 high-paying jobs to check out. Luckily, there are plenty of high-paying jobs out there for the numerically-averse. O*NET ranks how important "using mathematics to solve problems" is in any job, assigning each a "math importance level" between 1 and 100. Here, in reverse order of median salary, are 24 high-paying positions with a math-importance level of 31 or less:

☆ Biden to expedite deportation relief for migrants caught up in labor abuses - document
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Biden administration will expedite the deportation relief process for immigrants in the United States illegally who witness or experience labor abuses, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notification to Congress. The administration plans to streamline the process for workers to seek deportation protection in labor abuse cases to shield them from possible employer retaliation, with an announcement set for Friday. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in an October 2021 memo. The U.S. Department of Labor issued guidance in July 2022 that explained how whistleblowers can request deportation relief. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Before accepting 'manager' in your title, make sure it's not just a way for your company to avoid paying you overtime
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new study finds that firms may be using fake managerial titles to get out of paying employees overtime. Workers with a manager title, who make over a certain amount weekly, are exempt from overtime. Firms gave many more workers who make that cut-off wage manager titles, according to the study. They found that, during that time, there was a 485% increase in managerial titles for workers just over that overtime threshold. In essence, firms give workers title bumps without tacking on new duties — or higher pay.

☆ Here’s the inflation breakdown for December 2022 — in one chart
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A decline in the annual inflation rate doesn't mean consumers saw deflation, which is when overall prices decrease. Categories with the largest changes in Decemberwatch nowWhile on the decline, the annual inflation rate remains at its highest since the early 1980s. Car and truck rental prices fell by 4.9%, while beef and veal prices fell by 3.1%, women's dresses by 2.3% and admission to sporting events by 1.5%. A decline in the inflation rate for electronics may seem counterintuitive when iPhones and other gadgets didn't necessarily come with steep discounts in 2022. Hourly wages have fallen by 1.7% in the past year, after accounting for inflation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

☆ UK parliament considers recalling Amazon exec after lawmaker "unhappy" with testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An Amazon spokesperson strongly denied the executive - European policy chief Brian Palmer - misled the committee. It cited legal filings related to U.S. court cases and testimony from workers at five warehouses in the UK. "We were extremely unhappy with his testimony," McDonald told Reuters. An Amazon spokesperson said that Amazon used CCTV cameras "to ensure the safety of employees and security of products". "To suggest that the use of these standard business practices amount to surveillance of employees is wrong," the Amazon spokesperson added.

☆ Hospitals rely on volunteers for $5 billion a year of free work — and some could be violating federal labor laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Lauren Sausser | Kaiser Health News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The US health system benefits from potentially over $5 billion in free volunteer labor annually. Like paid employees, hospital volunteers typically face mandatory vaccine requirements, background checks, and patient privacy training. Hedges was furloughed for the better part of six months when hospital volunteers were sent home in March 2020. Nonprofit and for-profit hospitals alike benefit from volunteersNonprofit hospitals must follow federal labor laws, too. Nonprofit hospitals are required to provide a benefit to their communities, such as offering charity care, in exchange for their special tax status.

☆ A Los Angeles restaurant chain was fined $1.6 million for failing to pay overtime to 83 staff and for keeping false records
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Thai-restaurant chain in LA was fined more than $1.6 million after failing to pay staff overtime. The DOL found that 83 employees at Ocha Classic and Vim Restaurant were owed more than $800,000. The DOL personally fined Boonyindee, who operates six Ocha Classic chains and one Vim Restaurant outlet, an additional $62,000 for the "willful nature" of his violations. According to an LA Times report from last year, diners often queue up for an hour for a table at Ocha Classic. Ocha Classic didn't respond to a request for comment from Insider.

☆ American Airlines retaliated against cabin crew who reported illnesses caused by toxic fumes on aircraft, say federal investigators
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

American Airlines retaliated against employees who reported work-related illnesses, per the DOL. Cabin crew said they were discouraged from reporting illnesses after jet fumes entered the cabin. In a statement, the Department of Labor (DOL) said flight attendants reported worker illnesses to the airline caused by jet fuel fumes seeping into aircraft cabins. But an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) — initiated by a whistleblower tip-off — found that upon reporting these illnesses, the airline retaliated against employees. The effects on passengers of toxic jet fumes entering the cabin are unclear.

☆ A female cabin crew applicant says she was rejected from a job because she's 'dark-skinned,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A cabin crew applicant to Kuwait Airways says she was rejected from a job because she's "dark-skinned." After being selected to work for Kuwait Airways, Maria was asked to send documentation including several photographs of herself. "I felt denigrated, discriminated against, like a commodity," told El Diario. Recruiters said they were checking for "scars, birthmarks or tattoos," a source told El Diario. Kuwait Airways did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Workers still quitting at high rates — and getting a big bump in pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Filadendron | E+ | Getty ImagesThe share of workers who quit their jobs jumped in November for the first time since last spring — and they're getting a big pay bump for moving, data shows. The labor market remains strong by historical standards, characterized by a high level of job openings and low layoffs. That translates to ample opportunity for workers, who generally get an increase in pay when they accept a new position. In other words, the average consumer lost buying power because rapidly rising prices for goods and services outstripped pay growth. Wage growth has moderated a bit from 2021, though remains strong relative to its pre-pandemic trend, Bunker said.

☆ US job openings fell again in November, in sign the labor market may be loosening up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

That’s more than the 10 million total job openings that economists were expecting, according to Refinitiv, and slightly lower than the upwardly revised October total of 10.51 million. The robust number of job openings remains “a testament to the resilience of demand for labor on Main Street, even as job openings tumbled on Wall Street,” said Julia Pollak, chief economist with ZipRecruiter, in a tweet posted shortly after the report was released. There were still about 1.7 job openings for each job seeker in November, unchanged from October, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job hiring inched down to 6.06 million in November from 6.11 million in October, according to the report. Layoffs fell to 1.35 million from 1.45 million, and the number of people quitting their job increased to 4.17 million from 4.05 million.

☆ Female cabin crew applicants had to strip so recruiters could check for scars, birthmarks or tattoos, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Recruiters rejected women with glasses, moles or visible scars, Spain's El Diario reported. Three sources told El Diario that the interview process was uncomfortable from the start. Bianca, a 23-year-old flight attendant from Romania, told El Diario: "The first girl that went in came out crying." I was freaking out — but they weren't exaggerating," Bianca told El Diario. The recruiter told Bianca that she was checking for "scars, birthmarks, and tattoos."

It might not be a surprise that the three biggest financial institutions in the US are Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo. Compare Bank of America and Chase and Wells Fargo Bank of AmericaChaseWells Fargo Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Editor's Rating 3.5/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Standout feature Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Bank of America Advantage Savings Account Chase Savings℠ Wells Fargo Kids Way2Save Savings Account APY 0.01% to 0.04% 0.01% effective as of 10/10/2022. Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo are all FDIC insured.

☆ How much TikTok pays employees, according to salary data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Insider combed through public data to get a snapshot of how much TikTok pays US employees. TikTok and owner ByteDance has offered base salaries between $29 an hour and $438,000 a year. Insider updated its analysis of how much TikTok employees make in the US, based on 1,135 US work-visa applications with salary data for more than 500 different jobs. The data includes base salaries only, not forms of compensation such as stock options or cash bonuses. It shows, for example, that TikTok offers $100,000 per year or more for certain content-operations roles, and that ByteDance offers as much as $200,000 per year for software engineers for its AR-effects platform.

☆ TikTok salaries revealed: How much the company pays for key US jobs in engineering, product, data science, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Insider analyzed US work-visa data to gauge salary levels at TikTok and parent company ByteDance. The data show TikTok and ByteDance offered staffers on US work visas $29 an hour to $438,000 a year. The public data show how much the company offered to pay foreign staffers it sought to hire in the US for jobs including product, engineering, and data-science roles. Based on the data, TikTok and ByteDance offered from late 2020 to late 2022 base salaries ranging from $29 per hour to $438,000 per year for various roles. We listed examples of salaries in each division below, followed by a complete list of the jobs included in the data.

☆ Over 8 million workers will get a raise on New Year's as states step in to raise their minimum wages
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

8.4 million workers will get a raise on New Year's, according to the Economic Policy Institute. 23 states are set to raise their minimum wages on January 1, due to inflation, legislation, and ballot measures. Many states have raised local minimum wages past the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. States and cities stepping in to raise their minimum wages is not a new phenomenon. A Democratic-controlled House and Senate failed to pass a $15 minimum wage in 2021, and it's been relatively silent ever since.

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