employer

18 Stories

Dutch Judge Backs Worker Told to Keep Webcam on All Day

Court cites human rights decision in ruling against employer

(Newser) - An employee of a US software company, when told to keep his webcam on all day, pointed out that he already was sharing his screen, and that his boss could monitor everything he was doing on his laptop. He argued that being watched on top of that seemed like an...

Glassdoor Must ID Person Who Wrote 'Toxic' Reviews

Judge sides with New Zealand company that was the subject of scathing critiques

(Newser) - Glassdoor is a website where users can look for future jobs, as well as post reviews about companies they've worked for to help others determine if a company might be a desirable employer or one to avoid. What allows reviewers to be as brutally honest as possible is the...

Why Are Employers Still Providing Health Insurance?

Hobby Lobby decision should push Congress to end practice, Jon Healey argues

(Newser) - The Hobby Lobby decision still looms large over the opinion pages today. The Wall Street Journal called it "an important vindication of religious liberty," while the New York Times complained that the justices gave "for-profit companies an unprecedented right to impose their religious views on employees."...

Hong Kong Arrests Woman Accused of Torturing Maid

Treatment of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih has sparked protests

(Newser) - Hong Kong police today arrested a woman accused of torturing her Indonesian maid, a day after thousands rallied in protest of the maid's treatment. Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, 23, returned to Indonesia last week, reportedly unable to walk thanks to her injuries. She's now being treated at a hospital there,...

Smokers: You Cost Your Boss an Extra $6K a Year
Smokers: You Cost Your
Boss an Extra $6K a Year
study says

Smokers: You Cost Your Boss an Extra $6K a Year

Study is first comprehensive look at the costs

(Newser) - As more employers decide not to hire smokers , a new study underscores why: Puffers cost employers $5,816 more per year than non-smoking employees. The author, an expert in public health law, teamed up with economists and dug into the topic after realizing there "wasn’t any really good...

Your Boss Reads Your IMs... and 9 Things He Won't Admit

But fear not, you're not likely to get fired for online shopping

(Newser) - Ever wonder if your bosses are snooping on you at work? They probably are. On SmartMoney , Catey Hill reveals 10 things they’ll never tell you:
  • They read your emails and IMs: Some employ monitoring software that flags certain keywords or types of messages; one company estimates reading 5% to
...

Germany Bans Bosses From Checking Your Facebook

Some 45% of employers vet applicants on social-networking sites

(Newser) - You look great in your interview duds and make a smashing first impression, so what could torpedo your chances of getting the job? Those Facebook photos of you doing a kegstand. Move to Germany, reports der Spiegel, where Berlin has recently banned bosses from checking would-be employees' social-networking profiles. The...

Middle Class Losing Health Insurance Fastest

Families squeezed as prices soar, employers drop coverage

(Newser) - Middle-class Americans are losing their health insurance coverage faster than any other group, with 16.2% of people in the income bracket finding themselves without coverage in 2008. That’s 12.9 million uninsured—up from 10.5 million in 2000—among families who make between $45,000 and $85,...

Temp Hiring Is on the Rise
 Temp Hiring Is on the Rise 

Temp Hiring Is on the Rise

Employers show confidence, but hedged with caution

(Newser) - With the economy on an upswing, employers are feeling a tad more confident—enough to bring on more temporary workers, who can easily be let go if things go south again. Temp hiring has risen for 4 months—longer than the aftermath of previous recessions, when employers started hiring permanent...

Employer Bails Out Madoff-Hit Employees

Mass. businessman donates $5M for workers' retirement

(Newser) - A Massachusetts businessman has ponied up $5 million of his own money to replace his employees’ retirement savings, which were wiped out by the collapse of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, the Boston Globe reports. Robert I. Lappin, who made his money in vacuum cleaners, knows their pain because he,...

Obama Targets Employers in Immigration Crackdown

Worker raids give way to audits of companies

(Newser) - The Obama administration is cracking down on illegal immigration using a new approach: pursuing employers rather than the immigrants themselves, the Wall Street Journal reports. Immigration officials announced yesterday they’d begun auditing 652 companies; hiring breaches could mean fines or civil and criminal charges. The new method runs counter...

Wal-Mart Backs Plan to Make Employers Provide Coverage

(Newser) - President Obama has a big new supporter in his push for health-care reform: Wal-Mart. The nation's largest private employer reversed course today and told the White House it supports the idea of requiring large employers to provide health insurance to workers. Most large corporations, along with the US Chamber of...

Supremes Make Age-Bias Suits Harder to Prove

Ruling puts burden of proof on workers

(Newser) - Workers who sue their employers for age discrimination will find their cases much harder to win under a Supreme Court ruling issued yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports. The court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that it is up to employees who believe they were fired or demoted because of...

Surfing on Company Time Boosts Productivity

May we suggest Newser.com?

(Newser) - If your boss catches you reading this article, don’t sweat it. A little recreational internet use on the job makes for more productive employees, according to a new Australian study. The study surveyed 300 people, 70% of whom engaged in a little WILB—“workplace Internet leisure browsing.”...

Prez Won't Fight Tax on Health Benefits

Plan echoes McCain proposal slammed by campaigning Obama

(Newser) - Despite attacking John McCain for the idea on the campaign trail, President Obama will not oppose taxing some worker health benefits to fund health care reform, reports the New York Times reports. On the stump, Obama called a similar plan “the largest middle-class tax increase in history.” While...

Startup Site Wants to See Your Paycheck

Glassdoor.com gives users dirt on others in exchange for theirs

(Newser) - Ever wonder how much people at Google or Microsoft really make? Just-launched Glassdoor.com wants to tell you, TechCrunch reports. Essentially, the site collects self-submitted compensation reports and reviews for as many jobs at as many firms as possible. Open to everyone are full details for Googe, Yahoo, Microsoft, and...

Feds Get Tough on Employers of Illegals

Raids, deportations expected as Washington tightens rules

(Newser) - Immigration officials are set to step up raids on employers across America suspected of hiring illegal immigrants, the New York Times reports.  The tough enforcement action will back up new rules to be announced this week requiring bosses to fire workers who use false Social Security numbers, which are...

Immigration Bill Alarms Employers
Immigration Bill Alarms Employers

Immigration Bill Alarms Employers

Businesses call employee verification program an unfair burden

(Newser) - The new immigration bill now on the Senate floor puts a massive burden on employers, the Wall Street Journal reports, requiring them to verify the papers of all 146 million workers in the US, and stiffening penalties for violations. "It's like throwing a huge net to catch a few...

18 Stories