Amid the burgeoning racial discrimination and diversity concerns, the head of global human resources for athletic wear maker Adidas AG, steps down from her position at the organization and announced her immediate departure. The departure was announced on 30 June, 2020 and was mutually agreed with other board members. The move was transpired after the media reports of criticism by Black employees about a lack of diversity at the organization surfaced.
In a recent development related to the global pandemic, Disneyland workers staged a protest from their cars on Saturday on the reopening of the resort without proper protections for employees. The workers argued that the company has not agreed to any adequate protections for the employees when the resort would reopen to the public amid a pandemic. The Walt Disney Co had initially planned to welcome the guests back to Disneyland and neighboring California Adventure from 17 July 2020. However, now they have postponed the restart date indefinitely.
CVS Health launched a workplace reopening product for US employers and universities. The product that was launched on Wednesday is an instrument to test employees and students for COVID-19 to help with the reopening process. The product – The Return Ready program – would include testing options that would vary depending on the physical worksite and exposure risk. It would also include point-of-care diagnostic tests, which would give results within 15 minutes or third-party lab tests that would issue results in a few days.
According to a statement issued by Rebecca Taber, founder and co-CEO of Merit America, it was revealed Amazon’s Career Choice partners with Merit America – a nonprofit organization, which helps workers to develop desirable skills that would lead to highly sought-after technology jobs. The partnership was announced on 23 June 2020. The joint partnership would benefit the hourly associates who do not have college degrees. According to the statement, the program has been designed to overcome barriers that are often faced by middle-skill workers.
In a recent announcement made by Macy’s Inc on Thursday, it was revealed the departmental store chain would be laying off about 3,900 employees. The layoff would happen in the corporate and management positions as the US businesses try to save cash in the face of weak demand triggered by the global pandemic. Macy which had about 123,000 employees at the end of January had said it expected to save about $365 million in fiscal 2020 and about $630 million every year as a result of the layoffs.
According to a recent study by Glassdoor Economic Research, dated 22 June 2020, it was revealed high employment rate had triggered recent college graduates applying to tech positions that require experience. The study stated as of May, the number of ‘entry-level’ or ‘new grad’ positions has decreased by 68% from the previous year. Glassdoor also talked about the enthusiasm of new grads to work in tech and that software engineering roles were the most frequently applied roles.
In an internal memo by Goldman Sachs to its employees, it was stated that the bank has recruited the outgoing AT&T chief brand officer Fiona Carter as the bank’s first chief marketing officer. Fiona Carter would join the bank as a partner of 1 September 2020 and would report to chief operating officer John Waldron. According to the memo, Fiona Carter would lead Goldman Sachs’ brand marketing, content, and digital strategy globally.
In a recent development, California plans to ask a state court judge to enforce Uber Technologies Inc and Lyft Inc to categories their ride-hail drivers as employees instead of contractors. The move will intensify the tension over the new law concerning gig workers. The move comes after the shares of both the companies fell about 8%. The matter has been set for 6 August 2020.
The recent development in the nationwide protests against systemic racism, HR leaders worldwide had urged organizations on how to respond to the protests against the racism for greater employer accountability. In a recent statement, dated 4 June 2020, issued by one of the reputed HR institute – Society for Human Resource Management – had condemned the recent killing of George Floyd’s killing and showed their support with the Black community.
According to the statement issued by chief executive officer Ed Sims, Canadian carrier WestJet would sack about 3,300 employees. The move aims to save costs amid the economic downturn that had emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and had severely hampered air travel. The statement also stated that the carrier plans to outsource operations in all domestic airports except Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto.
In another development related to the public protests over police brutality against African Americans in the United States, Microsoft Corp on 23 June 2020 Tuesday announced its five-year diversity goal to address racial inequality at its offices. The company also talked about adding another $150 million in diversity and inclusion investment to increase the number of African-American people managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the US by 2025.
According to a statement issued by Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, Google is planning to create a ‘range of anti-racism educational programs’ for its employees. The move is a part of a set of initiatives that Google aims for while creating racial equity and inclusion revealed Mr. Pichai in the statement dated 17 June 2020. According to the statement, the training would be launched by early 2021 and would cover systemic racism and racial consciousness.
The recent executive order by the Trump administration announced a temporary suspension of H-1B visas through 31 December 2020. The move is a bid to prioritize the employment of US workers. The statement also stated that in addition to visas for workers with specialized education, the suspension would also apply to visas for seasonal workers, intracompany transfers, exchange visitor visas, and au pairs, among others.
In a recent development at the Alphabet Inc, more than 1,600 employees at its Google unit have petitioned to put an end to the sales of email and other related services to police departments. According to a source familiar to the matter revealed the disappointment of the workers with Google for not joining the millions who want to defang and defund police departments.
According to an internal memo shared by TurboTax-maker Intuit Inc, the company has slashed 715 jobs. The company’s chief executive officer Sasan Goodarzi in his note to the employees informed them about the move calling it a part of the company’s ongoing strategy to become an AI-driven platform. Intuit – the income-tax filing software firm – aims to revamp its customer experience, technology, and sale strategies with the move.
According to an analysis of academic papers by the Advance Workplace Institute – an arm of Advanced Workplace Associates – it was revealed virtual workflows would have the potential to damage trust, social cohesion, and information sharing between the team members. Offering a solution, the Advance Workplace Institute stated in order to prevent such damage, organizations would have to understand the differences experienced by the employees and find alternative ways to operate.
In a recent development, Target – the frontline store and distribution center – would raise its hourly wages in the US to $15 starting from 5 July 2020. According to a blog post that featured the announcement, it was revealed the boost in the wages was in line with goals outlined three years ago to make the starting pay to a certain level. The organization also announced a one-time $200 bonus to acknowledge the work of the hourly wage workers during the pandemic.
Alphabet Inc’s Google in an internal statement on Wednesday announced new hiring goals and security policy to address racial issues at its offices. In the statement, Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai revealed the company aims to have about 30% more of its leaders from underrepresented groups by 2025. Currently, about 96% of Google’s US leaders are white or Asian and about 73% of its global leaders are men.
In an internal announcement by McDonald’s Corp on Thursday, it was stated the restaurant would hire about260,000 staff in the US this summer, as the stores reopen for diners. The restaurant has been serving people through delivery, drive-thru, and takeaway for weeks due to the global pandemic. The burger chain, earlier this week, had reported about a fall in the US sales in the months of April and May due to the health crisis, however, signaled a recovery in demand as it restarted dine-in.
According to a survey poll carried out by Gallup, it was revealed the US employers have reopened their workplaces and workers have started returning. The survey was conducted in late May and had about 1,914 adults participating in it. The survey results revealed about 40% of Gallup respondents revealed their employers’ had not opted for an onsite screening of employees for the symptoms. While the 17% reported about lack of personal protective equipment provision, the other 13% revealed there had been no enforcement of social distancing.
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