Work

Pandemic exposes cracks in US labor market, leaving gig workers feeling desperate and exposed

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 19, 2020March 20, 2020 at 9:05 am 2 Comments

When Uber announced this week it will provide cash assistance to drivers diagnosed with COVID-19, Vasil Denev considered whether getting sick was his best option. “Uber offered to pay me… Read More

Amazon will hire 100k warehouse workers amid pandemic-driven surge in online shopping

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 at 1:28 pm1 Comment

Amazon is planning to hire an additional 100,000 warehouse workers to keep up with the volume of orders placed by customers amid a global COVID-19 outbreak. Amazon said Monday it… Read More

Amazon launches $25M relief fund to help delivery drivers, seasonal workers cope with COVID-19

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 11, 2020March 11, 2020 at 1:43 pmComment

Amazon on Wednesday announced it will donate $25 million to help its network of independent delivery drivers, Amazon Flex workers, and seasonal employees deal with disruptions caused by the COVID-19… Read More

Seattle tech giants attempt to bridge divide by paying hourly workers during coronavirus recess

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 6, 2020March 6, 2020 at 6:17 pmComment

Seattle’s largest technology companies plan to pay their hourly workers normal wages even as their need for support staff diminishes due to telecommuting policies that employers are pushing to stem… Read More

Task force urges Washington state leaders to prepare for tech-driven workforce changes

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 17, 2019January 9, 2020 at 12:57 pm 4 Comments

A task force of legislators, and business and labor leaders, is urging Washington state’s government to do more to prepare for the future of work. The group has released a… Read More

New employer satisfaction data hints at techlash’s impact and Microsoft’s exception

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 11, 2019December 11, 2019 at 10:53 am1 Comment

It’s been a tough year for tech, and the barrage of negative headlines dogging the industry may be hitting companies in one of their most sensitive spots: recruiting. Glassdoor’s new… Read More

Report spotlights high injury rates at Amazon warehouses ahead of holiday shopping season

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 25, 2019November 25, 2019 at 4:57 pmComment

Amazon’s warehouse culture is making headlines again this week after a nonprofit news organization obtained injury records from 23 of the company’s fulfillment centers. Reveal, a project of the Center… Read More

Warren slams Bezos over Amazon’s decision to cut medical benefits for part-time Whole Foods workers

by Monica Nickelsburg on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 at 9:25 am 8 Comments

Amazon is once again in Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s crosshairs, this time for its decision to cut medical benefits for part-time employees at Whole Foods, the company’s grocery chain. Warren tweeted… Read More

PTO Exchange raises $3M to grow platform that helps employees cash out unused vacation time

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 at 7:47 amComment

More than half of Americans do not use all of the paid time off granted by their employers, leaving 768 million unused vacation days in 2018, according to a study… Read More

Why everyone is talking again about the Amazon ‘ambassadors’ who talk up warehouse conditions

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 16, 2019August 16, 2019 at 10:24 amComment

For more than a year, Amazon has been marshaling an army of ambassadors to defend conditions inside its warehouses, but the program is in the spotlight again, and not in… Read More

Amazon warehouse workers plan Prime Day strike as company’s scale comes under scrutiny

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 8, 2019July 8, 2019 at 12:32 pm1 Comment

Amazon workers are planning to strike during a major shopping holiday in the latest headache for a company that has become a target in today’s political climate. The news: Employees… Read More

Uber and Lyft CEOs team up to respond to driver concerns in rare op-ed

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 12, 2019June 12, 2019 at 9:14 amComment

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Lyft co-founders Logan Green and John Zimmer lead companies that have been locked in fierce competition for years. But more and more, these executives find… Read More

Smartsheet targets government agencies with new workplace software powered by AWS

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 10, 2019June 10, 2019 at 9:35 amComment

With hundreds of federal agencies eager to modernize their processes, competition in government tech is hot. Take the Department of Defense’s JEDI contract, a $10 billion cloud migration project that… Read More

Podcast

Q&A: Melinda Gates opens up about tech industry, equality and 3 women who changed her life

by Monica Nickelsburg & Todd Bishop on May 14, 2019May 18, 2019 at 7:52 amComment

Melinda Gates once famously set a rule in her kitchen. Nobody leaves until mom does. It’s a story she tells often during interviews and it comes up in her new… Read More

Tech leaders sound off on Washington state’s new non-compete restrictions

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 22, 2019April 22, 2019 at 1:36 pm 6 Comments

Washington state’s legislature passed a bill imposing new restrictions on non-compete agreements late last week, which employers use to restrict workers with sensitive business information from taking jobs with similar… Read More

Washington state legislators pass law restricting non-compete agreements

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 19, 2019May 8, 2019 at 4:16 pm1 Comment

Update May 8: Gov. Inslee signed the non-compete bill into law, raising the bar employers will need to meet to enforce the controversial covenants. A bill imposing new restrictions on non-compete… Read More

US immigration policy has employers eyeing Canada for job growth

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 20, 2019March 20, 2019 at 9:02 am1 Comment

As the United States cracks down on employment-based immigration programs, Canada has been aggressively marketing itself as a friendly alternative for tech companies seeking international talent in the nation’s quest… Read More

Trump administration starts cracking down on H-1B visa approvals and work permits for spouses

by Monica Nickelsburg on February 25, 2019February 25, 2019 at 12:05 pm 6 Comments

It’s harder to get an H-1B visa than it used to be — and the spouses of those who do get approvals could soon lose permission to work in the… Read More

Seattle scrutinizes Amazon, gig economy companies for ‘misclassifying’ employees as independent contractors

by Monica Nickelsburg on February 20, 2019February 20, 2019 at 1:24 pmComment

Seattle lawmakers are taking a closer look at companies that hire big teams of independent contractors. The Seattle City Council passed a resolution Tuesday asking the city’s labor office to investigate… Read More

Amazon sued by family of deceased employee claiming wrongful death and discrimination

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 29, 2018November 29, 2018 at 3:15 pmComment

Relatives of a deceased Amazon employee are suing the Seattle company, claiming its negligence led to his wrongful death. The family of Ronald Ashley filed a lawsuit in New York… Read More

Video

Pandemic exposes cracks in US labor market, leaving gig workers feeling desperate and exposed

Amazon will hire 100k warehouse workers amid pandemic-driven surge in online shopping

Amazon launches $25M relief fund to help delivery drivers, seasonal workers cope with COVID-19

Seattle tech giants attempt to bridge divide by paying hourly workers during coronavirus recess

Task force urges Washington state leaders to prepare for tech-driven workforce changes

New employer satisfaction data hints at techlash’s impact and Microsoft’s exception

Report spotlights high injury rates at Amazon warehouses ahead of holiday shopping season

Warren slams Bezos over Amazon’s decision to cut medical benefits for part-time Whole Foods workers

PTO Exchange raises $3M to grow platform that helps employees cash out unused vacation time

Why everyone is talking again about the Amazon ‘ambassadors’ who talk up warehouse conditions

Amazon warehouse workers plan Prime Day strike as company’s scale comes under scrutiny

Uber and Lyft CEOs team up to respond to driver concerns in rare op-ed

Smartsheet targets government agencies with new workplace software powered by AWS

Q&A: Melinda Gates opens up about tech industry, equality and 3 women who changed her life

Tech leaders sound off on Washington state’s new non-compete restrictions

Washington state legislators pass law restricting non-compete agreements

US immigration policy has employers eyeing Canada for job growth

Trump administration starts cracking down on H-1B visa approvals and work permits for spouses

Seattle scrutinizes Amazon, gig economy companies for ‘misclassifying’ employees as independent contractors

Amazon sued by family of deceased employee claiming wrongful death and discrimination

Washington state to roll out broad new paid leave policy: What workers and employers should know

Whole Foods worker group urges employees to unionize to fight changes under Amazon

Jeff Bezos hints at how Amazon’s two HQs could work together across time zones

There’s a big difference between how men and women see employer salary policies

‘I wouldn’t have been homeless if I had benefits.’ Gig economy workers demand better protections

Without more women, tech is facing a serious problem. Here’s how men can be part of the solution

Commentary: Wake up, white men, it’s time to stop talking and start acting on diversity

Washington state passes gender pay equity bill with support from tech industry … for the most part

Effort to kill non-competes in Washington state fails again, leaving controversial contracts intact

Employment lawyers puzzled over IBM’s non-compete suit against Microsoft’s new diversity chief

ONLINE EVENT: A Guide To Product Metrics by Advancing Women in Product & Mixpanel

ONLINE EVENT: COVID-19 Technology Innovation Summit

CANCELED: Science in the City: Womexn of Color in STEM