Summer will soon be upon us. Young people have already started their pursuit of a coveted summer work experience to build their resumes and their bank accounts. And we are already hearing from businesses that are thinking of handling projects and overflow work by hiring an unpaid intern. After all, the businesses are already shorthanded, work is picking up, they’ll be able to give someone much-needed work experience, and they’ll get some free labor! It’s a win/win, right? Or is it?
The practice of hiring unpaid interns has made the news regularly in the last couple years. While it’s been a standard practice in some industries, such as publishing, fashion and entertainment, recent lawsuits have shed a bright legal light on it. There are several pending lawsuits by unpaid interns, some that represent many people in class-action suits. read more »
The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners is accepting applications for a public at-large representative to serve on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Advisory Council.
The advisory council is comprised of individuals representing business, education, transportation, health and science, tribal interests, fire officials, the environmental community, ports and the public-at-large. Its role is to provide input on agency programs and regulations. The council meets the second Wednesday of each month (except August) at the agency’s Seattle office.
For more information on the advisory council, go to this link. read more »
A friend asked me the other day, “How is it that Hooters can discriminate based on looks?” This question started an entire conversation about businesses, such as bikini barista stands, and professions, such as NFL cheerleaders, that obviously discriminate based on looks, and why and when that is permitted under the law. Do good-looking people have an advantage in the job market? Do they ever have a disadvantage? Does it violate Title VII protections to discriminate against someone based on their looks? read more »
Kitsap County’s low-income seniors who need skill training or assistance finding work may be able to get a hand from the county’s Division of Aging and Long Term Care. For nearly two years, the agency has been administering the Title V Senior Community Service Employment Program, which is funded by the federal government through the Older Americans Act.
The goal of the program is to help low-income individuals who are 55 or older become self-sufficient through training and job placement. The number of participants depends on funding every year, but earlier this spring Kitsap had about 13 slots. read more »
The Kitsap Business Forum will present “Build a Better Team — Hiring Best Practices” with guest Wayne Sargent of Express Employment Professionals on May 14.
Sargent will provide information on how bad hires can impact your business, and he’ll discuss some easy-to-implement strategies on how to eliminate them.
The Kitsap Business Forum is sponsored by the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce, Dave Mitchell, and the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce. Panera Bread will provide coffee and bagels at the event. read more »
There’s an old saying, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Well, what happens in Seattle should stay in Seattle.
Seattle officials had a bad idea a couple of years ago, and now some state lawmakers want to expand that bad idea statewide.
The bad idea is Seattle’s paid sick leave policy that applies to any business with five or more employees, even if that business isn’t located in Seattle.
Approved in 2011, the controversial ordinance says that, if one or more of your employees spends more than 240 hours a year — or about 10 percent of their time — in Seattle on business, you must pay them pro-rated benefits, even if your company is located in Everett, New York or Milan, Italy. read more »
A bill to give military members the ability to apply for private-sector jobs prior to separation with their branch of service passed the state Senate unanimously on April 12 and will become law with the governor’s signature. The idea for House Bill 1537, co-sponsored by Reps. Jan Angel (R-Port Orchard) and Steve O’Ban (R-Pierce Co.), was brought to the lawmakers by a local veteran.
HB 1537 would move up the timeframe when service members could apply for and be considered for civilian jobs and receive the preferential hiring benefit before their service ends. read more »
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. unemployment rate may be falling, but stress levels continue to rise among workers as more than eight in 10 employed Americans said they are stressed out on the job amid heavier workloads and low pay, according to data from the 2013 Work Stress Survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Everest College.
The telephone survey of 1,019 employed adults found that 83 percent of Americans are stressed by at least one thing at work, a sharp increase of 10 percentage points when compared with 2012 (73 percent). The survey was conducted to coincide with April’s Stress Awareness Month, when health care professionals across the country join forces to increase public awareness about the causes and cures for the modern stress epidemic. read more »
The longtime marketing director for the city of Gig Harbor has announced she will retire in June.
Laureen Lund has served as the city’s tourism and marketing director since 1999. Some of the innovative ideas and programs she created over the years include Summer Sounds at Skansie concerts, CinemaGig Outdoors, the Gig Harbor Visitor Information Center, the www.gigharborguide.com website and companion Facebook and Twitter pages, the www.MeetInGigHarbor.com website, the city’s Heritage Markers, the Gig-a-Byte monthly newsletter, the Official Gig Harbor Visitor Guide and more.
Lund also helped local organizations start numerous community events, such as the Gig Harbor Paddler’s Cup and Expo, an Art Walk, The Farmers Market, and a beer festival, Race for a Soldier and many others. read more »
