International organization of employers

TOKYO (AP) — The new president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee stopped short of saying there would be no foreign fans at this year’s games, but she certainly hinted at it Wednesday after online talks with IOC President Thomas Bach and others. The Japanese newspaper Mainichi reported Wednesday that the decision had already been made to exclude foreign fans. It cited only unnamed sources “involved in the discussions.” “If the situation is tough and it would make the (Japanese) consumers concerned, that is a situation we need to avoid from happening,” organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said. The newspaper report came just before Hashimoto’s meeting with Bach. She said a decision on foreign fans will come by the end of the month, and she wants one by March 25, when the torch relay begins from northeastern Japan. The Olympics are scheduled to open on July 23. “In the current situation it is impossible to bring in foreign spectators,” the Mainichi newspaper … [Read more...] about Report: Foreign Fans Likely Banned from Tokyo Olympics

China and the World Health Organization (WHO) could have acted sooner to combat the coronavirus, a WHO panel on the origins of the disease in China reportedly announced Monday. The WHO-backed Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) announced the finding in its latest report on the timeline of the pandemic, according to WION News. The WHO reportedly convened the IPPPR in July 2020 to investigate the timeline of the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump’s administration has been heavily critical of the probe, with the White House describing the investigation as “ridiculous” and “too late.” The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also delayed the probe’s visit to China by two weeks in early January and has prevented the researchers from gathering their own samples. The panel’s reported finding comes weeks after the WHO probe’s earlier pledge to not find a “guilty” party in the COVID-19 pandemic. #BREAKING WHO, China could have acted more … [Read more...] about REPORT: China, WHO Could Have Acted Sooner To Prevent Pandemic, COVID-19 Probe Finds

After years of slowly easing toward remote work arrangements, companies and their employees had to take the plunge fully clothed in March. Instead of drowning, they learned to make it work, saving an untold number of jobs and ushering in profound changes that will carry into a post-pandemic world. “Remote work has been all or nothing in the past,” said Sara Sutton, founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.” FlexJobs connects workers with remote work opportunities, and the Boulder-based company, practicing what it preaches, has operated remotely for 14 years. Despite being well-versed in what many companies were pushed into unwillingly, Sutton said this year has proved to be the hardest in the company’s history. What happened this year doesn’t at all reflect the benefits that remote work can offer, Sutton said. And yet, despite all the limitations, many employees came to prefer it. “It has been far more challenging than what typical remote work is by … [Read more...] about Work-at-home will stay in play long after the pandemic recedes

President Biden Joe Biden The West needs a more collaborative approach to Taiwan Abbott's medical advisers were not all consulted before he lifted Texas mask mandate House approves George Floyd Justice in Policing Act MORE recently announced his nomination of James Kvaal , an expert in postsecondary education policy, for one of the top posts in the U.S. Department of Education. As under secretary, Kvaal will sit at the helm of federal postsecondary education policy at a moment when the calls for action from the department are louder and more forceful than ever. He could either work to enable the dramatic movement that the left is calling for, or hobble it in favor of more incremental changes. History suggests it will be the latter. Kvaal is known for his ability to separate politics from policy, leverage practical thinking, and work with those across the aisle. Kvaal’s nomination should be no surprise. He has a reputation of taking thoughtful, measured … [Read more...] about Three ways James Kvaal can lead postsecondary education forward

President Joe Biden endorsed the ongoing effort to unionize the workforce at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama, giving hope to labor leaders. Biden tweeted his support for the effort on Sunday, nearly one month after the Bessemer, Alabama warehouse workers began voting in favor of or against unionizing. Biden said workers in Alabama, and nationwide, deserved the right to choose for themselves whether they wanted to join the union, but didn’t mention Amazon by name. “We should encourage unions,” Biden said in a video message. “So let me be really clear: it’s not up to me to decide whether anyone should join a union. But let me be even more clear: it’s not up to an employer to decide that either.” “The choice to join a union is up to the workers – full stop,” he continued. (RELATED: Corporations That Support The $15 Minimum Wage Can Afford It. Here’s Who Can’t) The Alabama Amazon workers first filed notice of a vote to form a union in November in an attempt to become the … [Read more...] about Biden Endorses Historic Amazon Unionization Effort In Alabama