“Shifting” Away from Hourly Pay … Be Aware of Potential Pitfalls

– The National Law Review

In many states, the practice of paying nonexempt employees a “day rate,” “shift rate” or “job rate,” is gaining in popularity. A day rate occurs when a set amount of pay is guaranteed for a shift without regard to the hours worked. The National Law Review explores the pros and cons of the concept.

 

Under Armour Feels the Ripple Effects of Wider Retail Turmoil

– The Washington Post 

You don’t have to look hard to see the consequences of the wave of bankruptcies and store closures rocking the retail industry: Thousands of jobs have been lost, and malls are starved of visitors as more and more storefronts empty out. When Under Armour reported its latest financial results on Thursday, though, it amplified a less obvious effect of the turmoil: The closures can create serious challenges for brands that depend on chains as access points for reaching customers.

 

Hard Times for Whole Foods: ‘People Say It’s for Pretentious People. I Can See Why.

– The Guardian 

The upscale grocery chain Whole Foods is valued at almost $12bn, but six straight quarters of declining sales have led to speculation of a takeover bid. The Guardian asks – what went wrong?

 

Escaping Poverty Requires Almost 20 Years with Nearly Nothing Going Wrong

– The Atlantic 

A lot of factors have contributed to American inequality: slavery, economic policy, technological change, the power of lobbying, globalization, and so on. In their wake, what’s left? That’s the question at the heart of a new book, The Vanishing Middle Class: Prejudice and Power in a Dual Economy, by Peter Temin, an economist from MIT. Temin argues that, following decades of growing inequality, America is now left with what is more or less a two-class system: One small, predominantly white upper class and a much larger, minority-heavy (but still mostly white) lower class that is all too frequently subject to the first group’s whims.