NLRB: Howard Schultz's comment against the law | Amazon recruiting to fill 250K seasonal posts | 3 ways leaders can take time off without feeling guilty
Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO, violated labor law by telling an employee "if you're not happy at Starbucks, you can go work for another company." (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Howard Schultz, former interim CEO of Starbucks, violated federal labor law by telling a barista to find employment elsewhere if unhappy -- a remark deemed an unlawful and coercive threat. This decision highlights the ongoing tension between Starbucks and organized labor as multiple stores pursue unionization.
Amazon plans to hire 250,000 seasonal workers for the holiday season, matching last year's hiring numbers, while Target plans to hire 100,000 more workers. This comes as ecommerce spending is projected to reach $240.8 billion, a 4.9% increase from last year, according to a Mastercard forecast.
Inviting a direct report or colleague on a walk outside, especially if the conversation may be difficult, can give leaders a chance to enhance communication and feelings of goodwill, write Laurence Stybel and Maryanne Peabody, the co-founders of Stybel Peabody Associates, Inc. They also recommend taking walks to inspire "whoa" moments of awe that can boost creativity and provide new perspectives, which can improve problem-solving skills.
Efforts to close the gender and racial wage gap in higher education are ongoing, with women at Vassar College filing suit over unequal pay. Experts and institutions are focusing on pay equity audits and policy adjustments, emphasizing transparency and supportive environments as key steps to ensure diverse hiring and equal compensation.
Donna Morris moved to Walmart to be its chief people officer after running the human resources department at Adobe, noting that she wouldn't have wanted to move to a different technology company, but the Walmart move still encompassed technology. "I'm just a real person trying to work and live my life like everybody else," commenting that she posts frequently on LinkedIn and makes a point of being accessible as people find that helpful and she gets unique feedback that way.
Massive protests eventually brought down Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos and helped Corazon Aquino become the country's first female elected leader in 1986. What name was given to the revolt that supported her?
Are you an accessible leader? If folks need to talk to you, can they? Or must they climb through a labyrinth of red tape?
Donna Morris, chief people officer at Walmart, says making herself accessible for the employees in her care is critical for her role, in today’s HR Leader story. But is that even possible for 1.6 million US workers? Morris says it is.
“I am somebody who’s really accessible, and it’s really important to me that people know that at any point in time--good, bad, indifferent--they can approach me,” says Morris in this Q&A with New York Times reporter Jordyn Holman. “I think the more that they get to know who I am, the more that they’re willing to do that. I’m just a real person trying to work and live my life like everybody else. And so, I like to really share my story so that it might help other people on whatever journey that they’re on. It’s a great way to get feedback on certain topics. I always check my LinkedIn messages because sometimes associates find you that way. Even though you’ve got email, they’ll find you that way. So I love LinkedIn.”
How do you make yourself accessible to your team? What tools and routines do you use? Are they working? Let me know! I'd love to hear what you're doing to build relationship with your folks.
Do you love this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
Sharing SmartBrief on Workforce with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free.
