Photo by Mathew MacQuarrie on Unsplash
- U-Haul’s no-smokers hiring policy tests the boundaries of corporate wellness
Workers give up some measure of privacy when they’re on the job, given the relative ease by which their email, phone and browsing habits can be tracked. But companies are increasingly bumping up against privacy concerns as technological advances give them the ability to collect personal data on employees through their apps, for example, or to use artificial intelligence to scan applicants. Some argue screening out smokers and not, say, those who drink creates an unfair hiring dynamic. U-Haul’s policy also would weed out applicants who use e-cigarettes and nicotine patches, which many smokers use while trying to quit.
Data suggests such policies disproportionately affect those near the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans with low incomes, limited education and infrequent access to health care are at greater risk of developing smoking-related diseases.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/01/22/u-haul-smoking-policy/
- How to tell a compelling story in a business setting
This might sound counterintuitive, but a compelling story needs to start at the end. In the crime drama television series Columbo, each episode always began with the murder. Peter Falk, the actor who plays the police detective lieutenant, always got to the dead body immediately.
In business, your “dead body” isn’t your data. You have to get to your issue and talk about what your data represents. In a status update—what does all this data mean? Are you doing well? Are you behind? Do you need to change? Should you keep going?
https://www.fastcompany.com/90455649/how-to-tell-a-compelling-story-in-a-business-setting
- What Actually Happens If You Get Coronavirus?
- As New Coronavirus Spread, China’s Old Habits Delayed Fight
In those weeks, the authorities silenced doctors and others for raising red flags. They played down the dangers to the public, leaving the city’s 11 million residents unaware they should protect themselves. They closed a food market where the virus was believed to have started, but didn’t broadly curb the wildlife trade.
Their reluctance to go public, in part, played to political motivations as local officials prepared for their annual congresses in January. Even as cases climbed, officials declared repeatedly that there had likely been no more infections.
By not moving aggressively to warn the public and medical professionals, public health experts say, the Chinese government lost one of its best chances to keep the disease from becoming an epidemic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html
- UK won’t adopt new EU copyright law and the dreaded Article 13
The UK was one of the 19 nations who initially supported the new EU Copyright Directive, when the vote was cast last April. However, the Universities and Science Minister Chris Skidmore has now said it will not be implemented in the UK (via BBC).
He said: “The Government has committed not to extend the implementation period. Therefore, the United Kingdom will not be required to implement the Directive, and the Government has no plans to do so.
“Any future changes to the UK copyright framework will be considered as part of the usual domestic policy process.”
https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/article-13-copyright-law-uk-3972873