Jun

30

If you’re working, you’re in demand. If you’re not? Well …

Posted by Dan

June 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment

The news just keeps getting worse for the nation’s unemployed. First, the national unemployment rate hit 9.4 percent in May, and shows no signs of dropping.
Now comes the news, courtesy of a Wall Street Journal story, that those companies who are hiring aren’t always looking at unemployed to fill their positions. No, instead they’re going [...]

Jun

29

Big job losses in Chicago

Posted by Dan

June 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I call Chicago home. So it pains me to see so many people losing their jobs in the city I love.
According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago area lost 185,900 jobs last year. In May, the Chicago area saw its unemployment rate hit 10.7 percent.
I’ve seen it firsthand. At the publishing company [...]

Jun

26

How far would you travel for a job?

Posted by Dan

June 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Tim Ryan drives two hours to pretend that he’s a werewolf at a tourist attraction. For this he’s paid a whopping $12 an hour.
But Ryan’s desperate: He’d been laid-off from his construction job, and couldn’t find replacement work. That $12 an hour is better than $0 an hour. So what if the commute is too [...]

Jun

25

Live in Ridgewood, N.J.? You might be out of work

Posted by Dan

June 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Ridgewood, N.J., recently won a dubious honor from BusinessWeek. The magazine predicted that the town would be one of those that would see the most suffering because of the country’s financial collapse.
Ridgewood is located about 25 north of New York City, and is home to many people who made their living on Wall Street as [...]

Jun

24

Is this the era of “good enough?”

Posted by Dan

June 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I’ve written a lot lately about employees having to do more work, for no extra pay, to make up for all their fired or laid-off co-workers.
The other day, a friend of mine finished a big project at work. He wasn’t happy with the quality, but wasn’t able to do much about it. He was juggling three [...]

Jun

22

Working too much at Massachusetts General

Posted by Dan

June 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Everyone feels like they’re working too hard during this recession, what with all the companies that have laid off so many employees. But for the general surgery residents at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital, the law has decided that, yes, they really have been working too hard.
According to a story in the Boston Herald, the Accreditation [...]

Jun

19

Many states are extending jobless benefits

Posted by Dan

June 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment

There hasn’t been much good news coming out of the world of work these days. But the New York Times did feature a column that has some hopeful news for the unemployed: Several states are extending their unemployment benefits.
According to the Times story, 21 states have changed their laws to make sure that the unemployed [...]

Jun

18

Obama memorandum passes on benefits to some gay partners

Posted by Dan

June 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment

There’s still a long way to go, but Pres. Obama at least take one small step toward recognizing that gay couples are every bit as legitimate as straight ones yesterday.
Obama signed a memorandum on Wednesday that extends benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees.
According to a New York Times story, this move comes after [...]

Jun

16

Nursing industry suffering from lack of instructors

Posted by Dan

June 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment

My sister works as a pediatric nurse. It’s a stressful job. She works with kids who have cancer, and that all too often ends sadly.
I know, then, how important nurses are to patients. They provide much of the important caring for patients. Doctors get the glory; nurses do most of the dirty work.
Unfortunately, many states [...]

Jun

15

Mandatory corporate workshops: Aren’t we all stressed for time?

Posted by Dan

June 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

This week, the publishing company where I work is forcing employees to attend a mandatory hour-and-a-half sexual-harrassment workshop. And here I thought we were actually busy here thanks to all the layoffs we’ve suffered.
Sexual harrassment is a big issue, and a huge problem. But, I’m not sure that forcing employees to attend a 90-minute workshop [...]

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