workers

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The Internet's Workforce Is Faceless

We've forgotten that huge deals have a human toll: George Packer

(Newser) - Early 20th-century America had its factory workers; later decades had store employees. But today's Internet economy hides the faces of its workers, writes George Packer in the New Yorker . "Amazon’s workforce is made up mainly of computer engineers and warehouse workers, but when you think of Amazon...

Like It or Not, We Need Unions Again

Henry Blodget's not a fan of organized labor, but companies aren't doing what's right

(Newser) - Henry Blodget has always hated labor unions. They "create an 'us versus them' culture," drive jobs overseas, overpay their leaders, and often uncouple performance from compensation. "But we've now developed a bigger problem," he writes at Business Insider , namely the worst inequality since the...

Walmart Workers Walk Out, Plan Black Friday Protest
Walmart Workers Walk Out, Plan Black Friday Protest
in case you missed it
Nov 18, 2012 1:17 PM CST

Walmart Workers Walk Out, Plan Black Friday Protest

Chain insists protestors represent a very small portion of its workforce

(Newser) - Workers at a number of Walmart stores walked out yesterday, in the first salvo of a larger series of strikes planned in response to the retailing giant's plan to begin its Black Friday festivities on Thanksgiving . At least 30 workers at six Seattle-area stores went on strike yesterday, the...

Biggest Concern for Many Workers: Just Showing Up

And more than 60% of employees are very stressed: study

(Newser) - A depressing new survey finds that most US workers are very stressed—and that for nearly a quarter of all employees, the top priority is simply showing up at work. According to LiveScience , the study from ComPsych Corp. , an employee assistance program provider, found that:
  • More than 60% of employees
...

Wages Flat Since Obama Took Office

It could be big topic tomorrow, as Romney declares 'talk is cheap'

(Newser) - Wages have stayed virtually frozen since President Obama took office, a fact that Politico notes is starting to get some traction on the campaign trail. When adjusted for inflation, the average hourly wage has crept up a meager 42 cents to $23.41 since 2008. High unemployment is a factor,...

Pot linked to Slacking Off at Work

 Pot Linked to 
 Slacking Off 
 at Work 
duh study says
Feb 24, 2012 1:19 AM CST

Pot Linked to Slacking Off at Work

Not-so-surprising research links pot to low motivation on the job

(Newser) - Here's a finding that seems to be a waste of research money: Smoking marijuana is linked to decreased motivation at work. But scientists aren't sure if the pot is to blame, or if people who tend to toke are a tad too chill to begin with—or so...

Americans Gave Up $34.3B in Vacation Days This Year

Average worker skipped 2 days of time off

(Newser) - America, you’re working too hard. The average worker earned 14 vacation days this year, but only used 12 of them, according to a survey from Expedia. That works out to about 226 million unused days in total and, based on the national average salary of $39,416 per year...

Hoffa: Let's 'Take Out' Tea Partiers

'They started the war,' say Teamsters

(Newser) - Furious Tea Partiers are demanding that President Obama call Teamsters union boss James Hoffa to heel after he urged workers at a Labor Day rally to "take out" party members. "They've got a war. We're going to win that war," Hoffa said in Detroit before...

Just What Is a &lsquo;Good Job&rsquo;?
 Just What Is 
 a ‘Good Job’? 
analysis
May 1, 2011 7:36 PM CDT

Just What Is a ‘Good Job’?

This essential question needs to be answered, but it's complex

(Newser) - We toss around the phrase all the time, but how do we define what makes a “good job” good? It’s a key question—and a complex one—as we look to the future of our economy, writes Michael Lind in Salon . Among the factors:
  • Unions: We often call
...

Top 10 Ways Employees Waste Time at Work

Using Facebook, shockingly, makes the list

(Newser) - 24/7 Wall St. looked at a number of workplace studies on how people spend time online, and found that most say employees with PCs spend 20-plus hours a week on the Web while at work—and about a quarter of that is for personal use. 24/7 Wall St. broke...

At Office, Anything Beyond Handshake Can be Touchy

(Newser) - After countless bear hugs, fist bumps, elbow grips, and pats-on-the-back, Elizabeth Bernstein realized that she is her office’s “touchee”—someone co-workers know will be receptive to physical demonstrations of support, she writes for the Wall Street Journal. That got her thinking: When is such touching OK, and...

Many Toil Through Forced Leave

Workers on furloughs aren't granted—or won't allow themselves—time off

(Newser) - Sure, required time off beats a layoff—but that can be tough to remember as many continue working through their furloughs, the New York Times reports. Some worry their jobs are at stake if they don’t keep working; others just can’t get their employers to schedule days off....

Sex Harassment Cases Besiege UN

(Newser) - The United Nations is being hammered by a string of sexual harassment cases filed by employees, reports the Wall Street Journal. The development is particularly painful for an organization that is supposed to uphold human rights around the world. Victims complain about an old-boys' network of adjudication that allows colleagues...

Boss Hijackings Spike in France

Anger moves to menace as economic tensions mount

(Newser) - Worrisome "hijackings" of bosses are spiking in France, underlining the threatening tensions within a staggering economy, reports the Wall Street Journal. Workers angered by layoffs surrounded the car of Salma Hayek's retail tycoon hubby François Pinault in Paris yesterday for over an hour until they were dispersed by...

Working at Home Could Boost Layoff Risk, Some Fear

'Trend toward flexibility' makes about-face in rough economy

(Newser) - Workers who once had the flexibility to work from home are sticking to the office, worried that less “face time” could make them layoff targets, the Washington Post reports. To some women, the shift appears to be a step backward as pressure builds to “work as many hours...

Crisis Drains $2T From Retirement Savings

Tumbling values may mean more workers have to stay on jobs longer, retire later

(Newser) - The financial crisis has drained $2 trillion from Americans' retirement savings over the  past 15 months, reports the Washington Post, a 20% drop in the value of pensions and 401(k) plans that may force many to retire later and could spread to the general economy as workers tighten belts further....

Minimum Wage Gets Bump
 Minimum Wage Gets Bump 
Jul 23, 2008 2:31 PM CDT

Minimum Wage Gets Bump

Tomorrow's 70-cent raise to $6.55 could spell job loss for young

(Newser) - The federal minimum wage will get a 70-cent boost tomorrow to $6.55 an hour, reports the Baltimore Sun, but it's not good news for everyone. The bump will help workers chip away at rising food, gas, and health care costs, raising the annual payoff of a 40-hour work week...

Raise a Glass to the Joys (and Pains) of Happy Hour

One in five of us go out for drinks after work with co-workers; it's not all good

(Newser) - Is it happy hour yet? About 20% of Americans regularly go out for drinks with colleagues after work, says a survey from careerbuilder.com. Reuters runs down the highlights:
  • Most go out just to be social, but about 30% say they do so to gossip or only because they feel
...

Office Workers Demand Macs
 Office Workers Demand Macs 
May 4, 2008 6:15 PM CDT

Office Workers Demand Macs

Apple expects 33% growth thanks to business market

(Newser) - The exclusive club of Mac devotees is quietly expanding from students and artists to the corporate world, BusinessWeek reports. And the change is fueled by workers, not sales calls: In fact, nearly nine in 10 recently surveyed companies admitted that Mac-loving workers are influencing computer buys. And it's contributing to...

Part-Time Work Jumps 16% as Many Jobs Contract

Some 4.79 million worked part time in February; 1.8 million held two or more jobs

(Newser) - Tough economic times—and a drop in full-time jobs in some sectors—are pushing more people into part-time work, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Labor Department says 16% more workers—some 4.79 million people—are working part-time jobs this year than last, the highest total since 1993.

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