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California judge says Google's non-disclosure agreements violate state law
A judge has ruled Google's non-disclosure agreements violate California labor law, potentially letting former workers talk about their experiences.
Three Google workers sue over alleged violations of 'don't be evil' motto
Former Google workers have sued the company for allegedly violating the 'don't be evil' part of its policy by firing them for opposing controversial projects.
Amazon workers fired for cannabis use can reapply for jobs
Amazon has revived the possibilty of employment for workers and candidates who were rejected during cannabis screenings.
Study suggests Facebook shows users different job ads based on their gender
Gender identity seemed to impact whether someone saw an employment ad for NVIDIA or Netflix.
Massachusetts sues Uber and Lyft for identifying drivers as contractors
It follows a similar lawsuit in California.
Apple report says the App Store supported $519 billion in sales last year
The App Store facilitated $519 billion in sales last year.
Uber built a tool to help its drivers find work at other companies
Drivers can access Work Hub through the Uber Driver app. While Work Hub is only available in the US, Uber says it is partnering with the online retailer Ocado to help UK drivers find work too. Work Hub should help some Uber drivers, but there’s a good chance that for most, it won’t be enough.
Judge says Instacart likely misclassified California workers
California's recently enacted AB5 was aimed at improving working conditions at gig economy companies like Instacart, and it appears to be one of the first firms in the crosshairs. A San Diego county judge has granted a preliminary injunction barring Instacart from misclassifying its grocery shoppers as contractors instead of employees, finding that the state had a "probability of success" in its case against the company's parent Maplebear. The "handwriting is on the wall," the judge said. Whether or not AB5 was the right policy, it was based on a state Supreme Court decision from two years ago and became law -- Instacart couldn't pretend that it was unaware of (or couldn't adjust to) the new rules.
Uber and Postmates sue California over gig worker law
It didn't take long for tech companies to take legal action in hopes of thwarting California's gig economy labor law. Uber and Postmates have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block AB5, which makes it harder for companies to define workers as contractors, just as it takes effect. They (along with two workers, Lydia Olson and Miguel Perez) claim the law violates both US and state Constitutions by denying the guarantees of equal protection. The companies alleged that the bill, and its sponsor Lorena Gonzalez, unfairly singled out the gig economy while letting other industries off the hook.
Google fires employee activist amid protests
Google has fired at least one of the employees accusing it of retaliating against workplace organizers. Rebecca Rivers has confirmed that she's been fired as part of a larger move that terminated four employees. In a memo obtained by Bloomberg, the company's Security and Investigations Team claimed that the four had committed "clear and repeated violations" of data security policies, and that they hadn't just glanced at calendars or files during work as had been claimed before.
Uber has to pay New Jersey nearly $650 million in employment taxes
Uber may insist that its drivers are contractors and not employees, but New Jersey isn't buying that argument. The state's labor department has slapped Uber and its Rasier subsidiary with a nearly $650 million bill for overdue unemployment and disability insurance taxes from the past four years, arguing that the ridesharing firm misclassified drivers. About $523 million of that is actual taxes, while up to $119 million is due in interest and penalties. Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said this was an example of the administration "cracking down on employee misclassification" and that there was "no reason" on-demand workers couldn't be treated like other flexible staff.
Microsoft workers say it's making progress on diversity
Microsoft's push for greater diversity in its workforce appears to be paying off, and it's not just the company's management saying so this time. The tech giant's 2019 Diversity and Inclusion report offers the first public glimpse at Microsoft's Inclusion Index, or the percentage of employees who feel welcomed by both coworkers and management based on their identity. About 88 percent had "positive sentiments" about their sense of belonging and their belief in Microsoft's diversity efforts.
Lyft will give people free and discounted rides to job interviews
Lyft has announced a plan to help people "making their way through the employment pipeline" get to and from job interviews, professional training programs and new places of work with free or discounted rides. It's working with several nonprofit partners -- including Goodwill, the USO and the National Down Syndrome Society -- on the Jobs Access Program.
Amazon-owned Whole Foods cuts medical benefits for part-time workers
Not all is well with Whole Foods in the Amazon era. The grocery chain has confirmed to Business Insider that it's cutting medical benefits for part-time staff who work a minimum of 20 hours per week. A spokesperson said Whole Foods was dropping the benefits as part of a move to a single part-time work structure that "better meet the needs of our business and create a more equitable and efficient scheduling model." The change takes effect January 1st, 2020, and is expected to affect roughly 1,900 workers, or just short of 2 percent of the total workforce.
Uber and Lyft drivers are striking over pay and job security
Ridesharing drivers for have acted on promises to go on strike over labor conditions. Workers for Uber, Lyft and other companies in 10 cities (including Chicago, New York City and LA) are staging actions to demand better pay and job security. The exact conditions vary from city to city, but there are common demands for minimum guaranteed pay, caps on the companies' fare portions and an end to sudden, opaque deactivations that leave drivers with few options to get their access back.
Uber will pay $20 million to settle drivers' lawsuit
Uber's ongoing driver lawsuit issue could be winding down. The ride-hailing company has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a legal battle instigated by drivers nearly six years ago, according to court filings. Drivers for the company argued that they are Uber employees, not independent contractors as Uber states, and are therefore entitled to expenses and wage protections. Uber's proposed settlement sees drivers receive a payout for expenses, but will not change their status as independent contractors.
Apple's latest expansion puts it closer to its biggest rivals
Apple is on track to become the largest private employer in Austin, Texas, after announcing plans to invest $1 billion in a new campus less than a mile away from its existing facilities there. The 133-acre site will initially be home to 5,000 new employees, with the potential to grow to 15,000. The company has also announced plans to establish new sites in Seattle, San Diego and Culver City and expand in cities across the United States including Pittsburgh, New York and Boulder, Colorado over the next three years, with the potential for additional expansion elsewhere in the US over time.
Amazon's two new headquarters will only be half-full of tech workers
In total, Amazon has promised to bring roughly 50,000 jobs to its two new headquarters in New York and Virginia. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, though, only half of those jobs -- about 12,500 at each campus -- will be the sort of tech-heavy roles you'd expect from an e-commerce titan with significant investments in consumer hardware, cloud services and AI. The remaining jobs fall into the include the usual corporate buckets, like HR, finance, marketing and legal, as well as administrative, custodial and support services.
Amazon increases its minimum wage to $15
Amazon has announced that it will increase its minimum wage to $15 for all of its employees, starting November 1st. The company says that the move will benefit 250,000 staffers, as well as up to 100,000 part-time, temporary and agency workers hired during busy periods. Wage increases will also be implemented at Amazon's subsidiary businesses, including Whole Foods and Zappos. Other, stock-based compensations are being withdrawn to offset the changes, but 401k matching and healthcare benefits are unchanged.
Google's job search feature comes to the UK
Google is well aware of AI's power. When it's used for good, it can help predict the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases, augment podcast apps, and even help job hunters more easily pinpoint new local opportunities. That's what Google Jobs was designed to do when it launched in 2017 for US users, and today, the feature is finally available for UK jobseekers.
