The 40-hour workweek has been standard in the U.S. for more than eight decades. Now some members of Congress want to give hourly workers an extra day off. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the far-left independent from Vermont, this week introduced a bill that would shorten to 32 hours the amount of time many Americans can work … Read more
Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressive lawmakers introduced legislation this week that would make a 32-hour workweek the new U.S. standard. The Vermont independent said that reducing the typical workweek from 40 hours was “not a radical idea,” considering the advancements in productivity in recent decades. “It is time to reduce the stress level in … Read more
The US economy is showing remarkable health, but in the tech industry, layoffs keep coming. For those out of work, finding a new position can become a full-time job. And in tech—a sector notoriously always looking for the next hot, new thing—some people whose days as fresh-faced coders are long gone say that having decades … Read more
A federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump delivered a big win for business lobbies on Friday by shooting down a new federal rule that could make it easier for fast-food and other workers to organize. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker of the Eastern District of Texas issued an order vacating what’s known … Read more
Peter Chen, CEO of the robot software company Covariant, sits in front of a chatbot interface resembling the one used to communicate with ChatGPT. “Show me the tote in front of you,” he types. In reply, a video feed appears, revealing a robot arm over a bin containing various items—a pair of socks, a tube … Read more
Kim Smith knows how oppressive Florida’s heat can be for workers. The telecommunications technician has spent almost 20 years climbing utility poles in the Tampa sun and crawling through unventilated attics to install cable. She can’t imagine how hot the work will be in another decade or two. So Smith was disgusted this week when … Read more
Hall says when she has access to an interpreter, they are rotated throughout the week, forcing her to repeatedly explain some technical concepts. “Google is going the cheap route,” Hall claims, saying her interpreters in university were more literate in tech jargon. Kathy Kaufman, director of coordinating services at DSPA, says it pays above market … Read more
Sasha Luccioni, an AI researcher in Montreal, responded to WIRED’s story to say it was “10,000 percent true!” She added that over-the-top interviews are a long-established problem in parts of the industry. During a past job search, she tweeted, one Big Tech company “made me do *12* interviews and a take-home assignment.” (Luccioni declined to … Read more
So, as it turns out, Boeing’s safety culture is as not good as we all expected it to be. A new report from federal safety experts found some major issues with its culture that include a “disconnect” between senior management and other employees. It was also described as both “inadequate” and “confusing.” That is not what … Read more
Many workers who go on strike could soon gain a new bit of leverage against their employers: unemployment benefits. Lawmakers in several states are considering the novel approach of extending unemployment insurance to workers who hit the picket lines, saying it would help level the playing field with deep-pocketed companies that can starve their workforces … Read more
