The California Employment Development Department has locked 350,000 unemployment accounts in a move to root out fraud, but in doing so froze unemployment benefits for scores of legitimate workers. One woman, Roxzan Macon, an in-home elderly caregiver whose employment was affected by the pandemic, says she has been fighting to get her account unlocked, but she has received inconsistent guidance from the department.
Your workers care. Show them you do too. When 1 in 6 U.S. employees are also family caregivers, providing the right support is the key to a productive workforce. Learn how you can foster a caregiver-friendly culture with free resources from AARP.
A hybrid workforce is one of the trends likely to emerge from the pandemic, as companies such as Cisco, Ford Motor and Google consider plans to enable employees to split their time flexibly between office and home. Employers, including Starbucks and Cushman & Wakefield, are reimagining office space as collaborative hubs, and others, such as Amazon and REI, are planning smaller, regional workspaces instead of large headquarters.
Health care policy under a Biden administration could look very different than under the Trump administration, with support for the Affordable Care Act and a new approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, but experts say there are some areas of similarity, such as a focus on price transparency. "Big, transformational reforms are unlikely," but a Biden administration could implement smaller policy changes using regulations and other administrative actions, writes Simon Haeder, an assistant professor of public policy at Pennsylvania State University.
Students should have an early introduction to manufacturing and the career pathways open to them under Industry 4.0, writes Ido Yerushalmi, CEO of Intelitek, an Industry 4.0 blended-learning solutions provider. Yerushalmi offers several ideas for getting students interested in manufacturing, including taking field trips and helping them work toward industry certifications.
Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says everyone should work to end sexism and discrimination, even as women should take the lead when they can. "I know life's complicated, can be pressurized and not every woman can do this all of the time, but over your years of leadership, to whatever extent you can, use that knowledge and that voice to make a difference and make more space for women," Gillard says.
