Employee and Human Resource Practices

Racial Segregation in Prison

The Supreme Court should be strike down California's policy of segregating inmates by race.

Of Mice, Men and In-Between

Scientists Debate Blending Of Human, Animal Forms

Enforcement of Civil Rights Law Declined Since '99, Study Finds

Enforcement of civil rights laws has dropped sharply since 1999, as the level of complaints received by the Justice Department has remained relatively constant.

Forced to Work Off the Clock, Some Fight Back

Workers at hair salons, restaurants, discount stores and other businesses are now speaking up and documenting the illegal practice.

Commentary: The role of race in Sudan

Joyce King writes in USA TODAY the suffering of Sudanese villagers living in western Darfur is not just the responsibility of neighboring African countries, but the entire world. King considers the possibility that "more whites aren't outraged over crimes against humanity because they involve Africans killing other Africans" and calls on the United Nations and the international community to stop violence that "transcends race." USA TODAY (11/14)

Rural Exodus for Work Fractures Chinese Family

For millions of families in the Chinese countryside, the only way to survive as a family is not to live as one.

3 Chains Agree in Suit Over Janitors' Wages and Hours

Three California supermarket chains have settled a suit filed by immigrant janitors who said they often earned below minimum wage and were never paid overtime.

Black Migration, Both Slave and Free

Recent research at the Schomburg Center about African-American migration could redefine black history.

Shift Toward Skepticism for Civil Rights Panel

Gerald A. Reynolds, the new chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, has a storied history of pushing the government to combat discrimination.

To Push Telecommuting Opportunities, Congress Hits Agencies in the Pocketbook

Congress will withhold $5 million from the budgets of the departments of Commerce, Justice and State, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Small Business Administration and the federal judiciary until each certifies that all their eligible employees are permitted to telecommute.

The Behavior of Genes

Recent genetic studies go a long way toward resolving the nature-versus-nurture debate.

U.S. documents global abuses

The U.S. Department of State condemned Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria for the torture of prisoners in its annual human rights report to Congress, despite charges from human rights groups that the U.S. continues to deport prisoners to such countries for detention and interrogation. The report, which examines human, political and religious rights in 196 countries, was also critical of China and Russia, and said progress had been made on human rights in Afghanistan and Ukraine. The Denver Post/Associated Press (3/1)

Teamsters Offer Plan to Reshape Labor Future

The Teamsters union proposed to slash the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s budget and finance a four-year campaign in swing states to help elect a pro-labor president.

Protecting the Work Force

The Supreme Court struck an important blow for older workers this week by making it easier for them to sue for age discrimination.

Unocal to Settle Rights Claims

Unocal Corp. said it would settle landmark human rights lawsuits brought by 15 refugees from Myanmar who claimed that it was responsible for forced labor, rapes and a murder allegedly committed by soldiers along the route of a natural gas pipeline in the Southeast Asian nation.

Wal-Mart Agrees to Pay Fine in Child Labor Cases

Wal-Mart Stores has agreed to pay $135,540 to settle federal charges that it violated child labor laws.

The Lowdown on High Self-Esteem

Does low self-esteem lie at the root of all human suffering, failure and evil? When I ran my first research study on self-esteem in 1973, that certainly seemed to be the case. Psychologists everywhere were persuaded that if only we could help people to accept and love themselves more, their problems would gradually vanish and their lives would flourish. It turns out that we were wrong.

Foes Dig In as Wal-Mart Aims for City

Small businesses, union leaders, City Council members and even some mayoral candidates are gearing up to prevent Wal-Mart from setting foot in New York City.

Black, White or Gray

The chief executive of a General Electric unit is suing the company for racial discrimination, in a powerful illustration of how statistics and emotions clash in corporate bias cases.

At Wal-Mart, Choosing Sides Over $9.68 an Hour

With most of Wal-Mart's workers earning less than $19,000 a year, several groups have teamed up to prod Wal-Mart into paying its employees higher wages.

French Family Values

Whatever else you may say about French economic policies, they seem extremely supportive of the family as an institution.

On Wall Street, a Rise in Dismissals Over Ethics

With regulatory scrutiny heightened, there has been a wave of firings as corporations move to stop perceived breaches of ethics.

Doing Well by Doing Good

When a seasoned business journalist redefined 'success,' he found a quiet revolution underway in corporate America.

A Side Order of Human Rights

Taco Bell's recent commitment to farm workers' rights should become an example to the rest of the fast food industry.

Debunking the Concept of 'Race'

If the genetic testing fad makes the world less prejudiced and more open to a deeper discussion of humanity then it will have served an important purpose.

Always Low Wages. Always.

Why America's workers need the safety net.

Toyota, Moving Northward

Treating people decently is sometimes a competitive advantage.

Wal-Mart Workers Are Finding a Voice Without a Union

American labor unions have helped form a new and unusual type of workers' association to press Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to improve its wages and working conditions.

Wal-Mart Launches Environmental Drive To Cut Energy Use, Waste

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. unveiled an environmental plan Tuesday to boost energy efficiency, reduce waste and trim greenhouse gases as part of a wider effort to address issues where it has been pummeled by critics.

Wal-Mart Memo Suggests Ways to Cut Employee Benefit Costs

A memo to Wal-Mart's board proposes ways to limit health care costs, including discouraging unhealthy job applicants.

Outsourcing Is Climbing Skills Ladder

A new study suggests that more research work at corporations will be sent to fast-growing economies with strong education systems, like China and India.

Wal-Mart to Enter Urban Markets

Retailer Says It Will Help Local Businesses and Give Back to Blighted Areas

Adviser Urges H.P. to Focus on Ethics Over Legalities

The adviser, a former federal prosecutor, said that it was ethics, not the law, that needed to be paid more heed.

Diller Takes the Prize for Highest Paid

The highest-paid executive last year was Barry Diller, chairman and chief executive of IAC/Interactive.

Working With the Enemy

Fast Company article: Once the youngest president of the Sierra Club, Adam Werbach used to call Wal-Mart toxic. Now the company is his biggest client. Does the path to a greener future run through Bentonville? From: Issue 118, September 2007, Page 74, By: Danielle Sacks

A Health Plan for Wal-Mart: Less Stinginess

The nation’s largest private employer is overhauling its health plans and offering better coverage to a greater number of workers.