Workplace Issues Today
Daily News for Monday, May 21, 2012
Selected by the Catherwood Library Reference Staff each Monday through Friday, excluding University holidays, WIT is a free alert service, providing abstracts and links to workplace-related news stories covered in the major media. Subscribe to WIT »
Established in 1999, this service also includes a searchable archive.
German union reaches deal
German union IG Metall reached an agreement with employers for 3.6 million industrial workers on Saturday. The deal includes a 4.3% wage increase. Workers had asked for a 6.5% increase, citing Germany's strong economic performance. The government had said that they could not afford the higher wage increase. The agreement will also secure the position of apprentices and puts some limits on temporary workers. The agreement also forestalls strikes. The deal is expected to serve as a template for other industrial sectors.
See “German union, employers agree 4.3 percent raise,” by Juergen Baetz, Business Week, May 21 2012 (SD)
Men entering female-dominated professions
Over the past ten years, men have begun entering professions traditionally dominated by women at larger numbers. Dental hygienists, teachers and other professions have become more stable occupations that pay well. As jobs with benefits and good salaries are harder to find, traditional roles have continued to deteriorate. Reports show that men are making up more and more of the new employees in industries like nursing and teaching.
See “More Men Enter Fields Dominated by Women,” by Shaila Dewan and Robert Gebeloff, The New York Times, May 21 2012 (SD)
Chinese workers most likely to call in sick for sports
A new survey shows that Chinese workers were the most likely worldwide to call in sick to work to watch a sporting match or after staying up late to watch a game. Chinese workers were also more likely to skip work to play a sport. About 60% of Chinese workers said that they had called in sick, while only 1% of French workers said that same. India was second in the study, followed by the United Kingdom and Mexico, with the United States and Canada joining France with the lowest rates. The authors of the study pointed to the length of the work week as an indicator of the rates of absenteeism.
See “Chinese most likely to miss work for sports: poll,” by Chirs Michaud, Reuters, May 21 2012 (SD)
