Workers News

California cracks down on the gig economy By Tim Sandle The U.S. state of California has put in place measures to crack down on the gig economy. This takes the form of rules which will make in more difficult for companies to label its workers as 'independent contractors' instead of employees.

Millennials more likely to miss work due to mental health stress By Tim Sandle A new survey finds that millennial workers are more likely, when compared with other demographics groups, to miss work due to mental health stress. The survey finds that 50 percent of workers have missed at least one day of work due to stress.

Productivity rises in tech firm that gives workers Wednesdays off By Tim Sandle A digital technology firm based in Australia has reported gains in productivity one year after allowing its staff to work a four-day week. Each Wednesday the company shuts its doors, saying workers gain a better quality of life.

Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa 'appalled' by filmed attack on civilian By AFP Harare - Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday said he was "appalled" by a televised report showing security forces repeatedly beating a detained civilian, and ordered the arrest of those responsible.

Backlash as billionaire cabinet member dismisses US shutdown hardship By AFP Washington - Donald Trump's billionaire commerce secretary fueled accusations Thursday that the US administration was deaf to the impact of the government shutdown after saying he didn't understand why some federal workers were turning to food banks.

Op-Ed: Poor employment practices disclosed over the Holidays By Tim Sandle There's something darker about the Holidays that is associated with employment issues, normally centered on workers losing their jobs being treated harshly. Two examples are explored here.

STEM education is needed for next generation energy workers By Tim Sandle According to the Consumer Energy Alliance, STEM Education a must for the next generation of energy workers and a coordinated response is needed to address the education deficit.

Why major firms need to engage with Generation Z By Tim Sandle As with other industries offering highly paid executive roles, the top companies need to present itself in a way so it appeals to the next generation of business leaders. A new report provides a road-map.

Why the workforce needs to change for digital transformation: Q&A Special By Tim Sandle The future of work is no longer just about filling today's open needs; it is about re-evaluating the work and the workforce of tomorrow. Michael Gretczko, of Deloitte explains what is needed for the future.

The five 'super skills' that today’s workforce needs: Interview Special By Tim Sandle New research from the Institute for the Future has uncovered a knowledge gap highlighting five “super skills” that could change the future of work. To understand these skills further, Digital Journal spoke with Steven Kramer, CEO of WorkJam.

How to reshape your workforce in the age of AI By Tim Sandle Artificial intelligence promises many benefits for companies. However, progress can be slow and uneven if the workforce is not taken on the digital transformation journey. New analysis describes how workers can be best prepared for the challenge.

Tesla rolls out new policies to help keep factory workers safe By Business Insider A new post on Tesla's blog outlines how its infamous Fremont, California, factory has become safer for its workers. Employees had previously described long hours and injuries that came from uncomfortable, repetitive movements.

Workers need to be empowered by digital technology By Tim Sandle According to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google the adoption of digital technology by businesses should 'empower' workers and not 'alienate' them from the task in hand.

New types of workplace stress in the digital era By Tim Sandle Digital technologies are not only altering the way that business is conducted, technologies are changing working conditions and the relationship that people have with their work. One downside is with a rise in cases of 'technostress'.

ConnectMe, a digital workplace for employees: Interview Special By Tim Sandle Employee disengagement is a looming issue and it affects everything from company productivity to profitability. To help businesses with this issue, Deloitte created ConnectMe, a digital workplace. We spoke with Michael Gretczko, the general manager.

Interview: time-tracking software saves healthcare time Special By Tim Sandle Boomr builds innovative time-tracking software to save businesses time and money. The company has recently expanded out into healthcare. To find out how time-trackers work, we spoke with company co-founder Matt Bowersox.

World's most employable graduates are from Caltech By Tim Sandle The world's most employable graduates went to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), according to new figures assessing graduate employability.

To be effective employees need to digitally unplug By Tim Sandle A new study has perhaps confirmed what most would expect. To be effective at work the following day, employees need downtime and this includes not checking work emails when at home.

Nigeria uncovers 17,000 more civil service ghost workers By AFP Lagos - Nigeria has uncovered 17,000 more ghost workers on the civil service payroll, the country's anti-corruption body said on Wednesday, taking the number of fictitious employees to more than 37,000.

Ikea to pay workers in the UK more than the living wage in 2016 By Owen Weldon Ikea, the Swedish firm, is set to become the first national retailer in the United Kingdom to pay staff above the government's National Living Wage.

One day robots may give super strength to factory workers By Owen Weldon A robot exoskeleton that will help factory workers lift heavy equipment is getting closer to completion. The device would provide workers with super strength.

Microsoft lays off hundreds more employees in restructuring plan By James Walker Microsoft has laid off hundreds more employees amid its continuing "restructuring" plan started last summer by CEO Satya Nadella. It is unknown exactly how many have been affected by the latest round of cuts.

Ebola-proof Android tablet helps aid workers in West Africa By James Walker Google has developed an Ebola-proof tablet for use by health workers in Sierra Leone. It can resist the storms and high humidity of West Africa and can be dipped into antibacterial chlorine after use.

Labour Day events support workers, call for the rights of TFWs Special By Paula Kirman Edmonton - Labour Day in Edmonton was marked with several events supporting and celebrating marginalized workers in a variety of ways.

A century of hard work on the Panama Canal By AFP Panama City - From painter Paul Gauguin's illness-ridden misadventure in the Central American rainforest to tugboat captain Eileen Vinueza's purple nail polish and sneakers, working on the Panama Canal has changed considerably in the past century.

Taiwan to review minimum wage after thousands rally on Labor Day By Nora Meszaros Taipei - Dozens of trade union members, labor rights groups and student groups marched in the streets Thursday, protesting against low pay and the use of temporary workers.

Canadian workers were affected by fungal infection By Tim Sandle The U.S. CDC has confirmed that builders renovating an old house in Quebec, Canada contracted fungal spores from the building. The reason was that the workmen were not provided with the correct equipment.

Study: Low-paid fast food workers cost $3.8 billion per year By Mike White Low-paid fast-food workers in the United States cost taxpayers about $4 billion a year because of the federal subsidies they receive, according to a new study. A total of 52% of non-management workers in the fast-food receive some type of subsidy.

Employers cooling as ice cream workers go on strike in Spain By Anne Sewell Madrid - Just as Spain's hot summer weather finally kicks off, workers at Spanish ice cream factories downed tools on Friday as negotiations freeze with the industry's employer body.

RBC accused of replacing Canadian staff with temp foreign workers By KJ Mullins The Royal Bank of Canada has been accused of replacing Canadian staff with workers that staff trained from India. The Indian workers are in Canada as part of the temporary foreign workers program.

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