Smokers need not apply • The five years you’re not discriminated against • New partnership to employ older workers • Employer pays for employee’s idea
Smokers need not apply
Spokane County, Wash. — Spokane County is considering a policy that would see the Washington State municipality hire only non-smokers. “The statistics are there to show that people who use tobacco are typically sick more days a year, and they increase the cost of your medical based on the complications caused by a smoking lifestyle,” said Cathy Malzahn, the county’s HR director. Under the proposed policy, new employees who are caught smoking — even off the job — could be fired.
The five years you’re not discriminated against
London — Age discrimination is so common, workers enjoy just a five-year period in their working lives — between the ages of 35 and 40 — when they are not being judged as too young or too old, according to the U.K.’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Age prejudice is a bigger problem for people 40 years and older, but eight per cent of people under the age of 35 have been told they are too young for a job. Twice that number believe they were refused a job because they were too young.
New partnership to employ older workers
Atlanta — Home Depot and the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) are forming a partnership to find work for people over 50. Home Depot has 35,000 jobs opening up at 175 new stores in 2004. “We have a need for qualified employees,”said Home Depot’s vice-president of HR. Under the agreement, the AARP will find the workers and help them apply for the jobs. Home Depot will try to accommodate part-time schedules and varying skill levels.
Employer pays for employee’s idea
Tokyo — A Japanese company must pay a former employee $253 million for his work in developing blue light-emitting diode, also known as LED, used in a wide-range of products including cell phones. The decision is considered a land-mark on patent ownership and inventor’s rights. Shuji Nakamura said he received little support from his old employer Nichia Corp., and that he worked long hours alone in his lab, enduring ridicule and bureaucratic red tape typical at old-style Japanese companies. He quit in 1999.
Spokane County, Wash. — Spokane County is considering a policy that would see the Washington State municipality hire only non-smokers. “The statistics are there to show that people who use tobacco are typically sick more days a year, and they increase the cost of your medical based on the complications caused by a smoking lifestyle,” said Cathy Malzahn, the county’s HR director. Under the proposed policy, new employees who are caught smoking — even off the job — could be fired.
The five years you’re not discriminated against
London — Age discrimination is so common, workers enjoy just a five-year period in their working lives — between the ages of 35 and 40 — when they are not being judged as too young or too old, according to the U.K.’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Age prejudice is a bigger problem for people 40 years and older, but eight per cent of people under the age of 35 have been told they are too young for a job. Twice that number believe they were refused a job because they were too young.
New partnership to employ older workers
Atlanta — Home Depot and the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) are forming a partnership to find work for people over 50. Home Depot has 35,000 jobs opening up at 175 new stores in 2004. “We have a need for qualified employees,”said Home Depot’s vice-president of HR. Under the agreement, the AARP will find the workers and help them apply for the jobs. Home Depot will try to accommodate part-time schedules and varying skill levels.
Employer pays for employee’s idea
Tokyo — A Japanese company must pay a former employee $253 million for his work in developing blue light-emitting diode, also known as LED, used in a wide-range of products including cell phones. The decision is considered a land-mark on patent ownership and inventor’s rights. Shuji Nakamura said he received little support from his old employer Nichia Corp., and that he worked long hours alone in his lab, enduring ridicule and bureaucratic red tape typical at old-style Japanese companies. He quit in 1999.
