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North American Edition
29th November 2024
 
THE HOT STORY
Performance improvement plans are having a moment
The share of workers who are subject to performance actions, including performance improvement plan (PIPs), is on the increase. In 2020, 33.4 people for every 1,000 workers had documented performance issues, according to software firm HR Acuity. In 2023, its annual poll showed 43.6 workers out of every 1,000 were involved in formal performance procedures, including PIPs and performance counseling, among other measures. One reason PIPs are becoming more common is that CEOs are tightening budgets and seeking efficiencies. In the age of artificial intelligence, there is growing pressure to demonstrate that the humans who remain in roles are exceptional. Meanwhile, lawyers say PIPs can protect a company from wrongful termination lawsuits. “Employment lawsuits are now the most commonly filed lawsuit in California, so there’s a significant incentive for employers to make sure they’re dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s,” observes Christian Keeney, a California-based attorney with law firm Jackson Lewis. But human resources executive Anna Tavis says a PIP is “An oxymoron . . . I spent 15 good years on Wall Street and other places. It’s a cover up. It’s window dressing. None of these performance improvement plans lead to improving performance.”
HEALTH & SAFETY
Federal workers are terrified of becoming targets
Several federal employees have told CNN that they are afraid their lives will be forever changed – including physically threatened – as Elon Musk, who President-elect Donald Trump has announced will co-lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” makes government staff into personal targets. Last week, Musk reposted two X posts that revealed the names and titles of people holding climate-related government positions. “These tactics are aimed at sowing terror and fear at federal employees,” said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 800,000 of the 2.3 million civilian federal employees. “It’s intended to make them fearful that they will become afraid to speak up.” Mary “Missy” Cummings, a former senior adviser at the National Highway Traffic Safety who angered Musk because of her criticisms of Tesla, said she already knows of federal employees who are quitting their jobs. “He intended for them, for people just like this, to be intimidated and just go ahead and quit so he didn’t have to fire them. So his plan, to some extent, is working,” she said.

 
CNN
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Call for Walmart Black Friday boycott after DEI rollback
A group of activists from Birmingham, AL, is urging a boycott of a local Walmart this Black Friday after the company's announcement that it is rolling back some diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives nationwide. “We as community members recognize the power of our dollars,” the organizers wrote. “By choosing where it’s spent, a clear message is sent that corporations must prioritize supporting and uplifting minority communities . . . We are calling on individuals across the state — and beyond — to stand in solidarity by boycotting Walmart this Friday and urging the company to restore its commitment to DEI and support for minority entrepreneurs.”
RISK
Staff reassured as TD Bank prepares to hire compliance monitors
TD Bank is in the process of finding a monitor, typically a third-party consultant or law firm, to observe its operations, track its progress on risk and controls, and report to regulators after becoming the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to violating a federal law aimed at preventing money laundering. In a town hall with employees earlier this month, U.S. CEO Leo Salom said the lender had enough capital, liquidity and leadership dedicated to fixing the anti-money laundering program and risk controls, a source said. Federal authorities opened an investigation into TD’s internal controls after agents discovered a Chinese criminal operation had laundered millions of dollars in fentanyl sales through TD branches in New York and New Jersey and bribed bank employees.
LEGAL
Lawyer fined for AI use
Texas lawyer Brandon Monk faces sanctions for submitting an AI assisted brief that cited two non-existent cases and included unverifiable quotations. Judge Marcia A. Crone of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas observed: “At the very least, attorneys must read, and thereby confirm the existence and validity of, the legal authorities on which they rely.” Monk was ordered to pay a $2,000 penalty and complete a continuing legal education course on generative AI.
ECONOMY
U.S. economy grows at 2.8% annual pace in third quarter
The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.8% annual pace from July through September on strong consumer spending and a surge in exports, the government has said, as it left unchanged its initial estimate of third quarter growth. Gross domestic product slowed from the April-July rate of 3%, the Commerce Department reported. The economy’s primary growth engine — consumer spending — advanced 3.5%, the most this year, and up from 2.8% in the April-June period. Meanwhile, the personal consumption expenditures index (PCA) rose at just a 1.5% annual pace last quarter, down from 2.5% in the second quarter. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core PCE inflation was 2.1%, down from 2.8% in the April-June quarter.
INTERNATIONAL
Is Germany's supply chain law failing Serbian workers?
Serbian workers have reported inhuman treatment and hazardous working conditions at local suppliers with ties to German automakers including Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen and BMW. Media reports and trade unions have uncovered violations of human rights and labor laws, with Chinese company Linglong and the German supplier Leoni among those said to be "exploiting" their workforces in the southeast European country. The German Supply Chain Act, which came into force last year, holds companies responsible for ensuring compliance with human rights and environmental standards throughout their entire supply chains, including the right to workplace health and safety, fair wages, and the right to form unions. But some say the problem with the legislation is that workers often do not know about it or even that their company is part of a supply chain to Germany.
Australia approves social media ban on under-16s
Australia will ban children under 16 from using social media, after the country's parliament approved the world's strictest laws. The ban, which will not take effect for at least 12 months, could see tech companies fined up to A$50m ($32.5m) if they don't comply. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the legislation is needed to protect young people from the "harms" of social media. Critics say questions over how the ban will work, and its impact on privacy and social connection, have been left unanswered. The legislation does not specify which platforms will be banned. Those decisions will be made later by Australia’s communications minister, who will seek advice from the eSafety Commissioner, an internet regulator that will enforce the rules. However the minister, Michelle Rowland, has said the ban will include Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X. Gaming and messaging platforms are exempt, as are sites that can be accessed without an account, meaning YouTube, for instance, is likely to be spared.
Indonesian employers want no changes to minimum wage setting
Employers in Indonesia are calling for the government to maintain the existing method of setting the minimum wage for 2025 after a court last month ordered changes to labor laws that it is said could precipitate wage rises. Employers Association (Apindo) chairwoman Shinta Kamdani claimed changes in the wage formula would create uncertainty among investors, who she said created jobs. "The wage formula has been changed over and over and it creates uncertainties for investors . . . we hope the government could create a conducive business ecosystem and not give preferential treatment," she said. Labor groups have called for an increase of up to 10% in the minimum wage for 2025. They have said there will be protests if this does not happen.
OTHER
New York Times readers give their verdict on Black Friday
The New York Times has asked its readers to share their thoughts about Black Friday shopping. More than 75 wrote in, and most said they were not planning to shop on the day, with many saying it no longer felt like a unique shopping event. Other correspondents suggested supporting small businesses rather than big-box retailers. Hayley Leibson, however, wrote in to say that she “fiercely loves” Black Friday. “On Black Friday, when those sales come up, I buy everything I’ll need for the entire year,” said Leibson, who lives in Mill Valley, Calif. “I have my list . . . In the morning, I will just go on all of the websites and then just buy everything in one shot.”
 


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