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National & International

Liz Reyer: How to work your way up the gratitude scale

I've been spending some time feeling fortunate.

News

Health care is where the jobs are. But what kind of jobs?

More Americans are now employed in health care than in any other industry.

National & International

Most sexual harassment complainants fired or retaliated against: study

A majority of employees who come forward with sexual harassment claims get fired or experience retaliation from their employers, a new study shows.

Q: I have just started preparing performance reviews for my staff, but I am already anticipating an argument with my boss. Our appraisal form includes five ratings, with the middle one being "meets expectations." My manager never approves a higher rating than that for anyone, because he says employees are always expected to do their best.

National & International

Liz Reyer: Scheduling at the holidays should be a team effort

Q: Last year we had a huge mess at the holidays, with too many people off work, not enough arrangements made for coverage, etc. After that we put together a plan to avoid that this year. Now that I'm implementing the plan, I'm accused of micromanaging. I feel like I can't win! What should I do?

Merging Sprint and T-Mobile would cut into pay at their stores even if the merger led to no layoffs.

Workplace

Sprint, T-Mobile merger would cut employee pay, even at Verizon and AT&T, study says

A study released Monday said reducing the number of wireless companies competing for retail employees would cut hourly pay as much as 7 percent. And that’s assuming no employees were laid off.

National & International

Restaurant boom has caused a kitchen labor crunch in Chicago, squeezing small operators

New Years Eve last year found Mary Mastricola in a bind.

A lawsuit claims H&R Block systematically suppressed wages in its tax offices through “no-poach” clauses in contracts that govern stores owned by franchisees rather than the company itself.

Business

H&R Block’s ‘no-poach’ hiring practices under fire from lawsuit, state investigation

The manager of a closed H&R Block tax office has sued, saying other Block locations refused to hire her because of a “no-poach” hiring clause covering the company’s 3,300 tax offices owned by franchisees.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has drastically cut the fine it initially imposed on Arrow Plumbing for safety violations that resulted in the death of one of its workers at a Belton job site (above) two years ago and put other employees at risk weeks later.

Workplace

Big fine slashed for Blue Springs company where employee died working in unsafe trench

OSHA has slashed by two thirds the $714,000 fine it initially imposed on a Blue Springs contractor for allowing employees to risk their lives in unprotected trenches even after a worker died in one two years ago.

A federal discrimination case against UPS Ground Freight grew out of complaints by a Kansas City, Kan., driver who was sidelined temporarily by medical issues.

Workplace

UPS cut pay of sidelined drivers with medical issues but not DUIs. Judge: it’s illegal

A federal judge strikes down contract provision between UPS Global Freight and Teamsters. It pays less if medical reasons temporarily force a driver into dock work, but full pay if a DUI sidelined the driver.

Workplace

McDonald’s workers go on strike, alleging widespread sexual harassment

At least 150 employees and other protesters gathered outside a McDonald's on Troost Avenue to protest the company's handling of sexual harassment complaints.

McDonald’s workers in Kansas City and across the country went on a one-day strike Tuesday to protest the company’s handling of claims of sexual harassment.

Workplace

‘I felt trapped’: McDonald’s employee speaks out about sex harassment amid strike

McDonald’s workers went on strike against the company Tuesday, claiming the fast food giant has failed to address sexual harassment in the workplace. At a rally in Kansas City, they demanded better from the company and called for a union.

Business

Sprint, T-Mobile merger means 28,000 jobs lost, including 4,500 at HQs, union claims

The Communications Workers of America raised heavy job losses as only one of its reasons for officially opposing the proposed merger between Overland Park-based Sprint and Bellevue, Wash.-based T-Mobile.

Hartzler said Missouri’s members of Congress would reach out to Kansas-side delegates and other Midwestern states to “speak with one voice for the heartland.”

Workplace

Nearly 700 USDA jobs paying $100k plus are up for grabs. Kansas, Missouri want them

Kansas and Missouri’s congressional leaders would like to see 700 U.S. Department of Agriculture jobs land in one of the two states.

Fast-food workers for Overland Park-based KBP Foods say they weren’t paid for all the hours they worked and have sued in federal court.

Workplace

Fast-food workers sue OP-based firm, alleging misdeeds by managers, unpaid hours

The lawsuit filed by six employees say faulty thumb scanners, managers’ scheme to short time sheets and incentives from manager bonuses left them unpaid for work, including overtime hours, at KFC restaurants.

Retailer JCPenney said it is hiring to fill 900 jobs at its Lenexa distribution center.

Business

900 jobs open in Lenexa with interviews available next Wednesday

JCPenney said it seeks employees for shipping, receiving, order filling and other jobs at the center. Candidates should apply online in advance and then attend an Aug. 22 hiring event to be interviewed.

Cars lined up on Oct. 22, 2014, at Lee Jeans in Merriam during a jeans trade-in event. Lee hoped to encourage residents to ditch their San Francisco-based Levi’s during the World Series against the San Francisco Giants and wear their hometown Lee Jeans in support of the Royals. Lee Jeans will be relocated to Greensboro, N.C., as part of a parent company shakeup.

Workplace

Historic jeans-maker to leave Kansas City headquarters for East Coast

Merriam-based Lee Jeans will move to Greensboro, North Carolina, as part of a split by its parent company, VF Corp., into two companies.

Communications Workers of America union members cheer as Local 6450 President Sarah Harreus (right) speaks at the podium during a CWA protest Thursday outside the AT&T building in Lee’s Summit.

Workplace

Union-backed protest claims AT&T got cash from tax cuts, reneged on promises

A union-backed protest claiming AT&T hadn’t lived up to its promise of job creation following the 2017 tax reform bill stopped in Kansas City on Thursday.

Workers faced ‘inhumane and unhealthy’ living conditions at old jail

Business

Company housed Missouri farmworkers in ‘inhumane and unhealthy’ former county jail

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor found a mattress in the refrigerator, water coolers without drinking cups in the field and workers who claim they were required to cash checks and return the money to company representatives.

Then-Gov. Eric Greitens last year signed a right-to-work measure into law.

Workplace

2 weeks before right-to-work vote, national labor overseers take local union to court

With Missouri’s right-to-work vote just two weeks away, the NLRB is taking a local labor union to court over allegedly improper dues.

Workplace

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