Out in the Open

The good, bad and ugly of open-space offices

The idea of open-space offices has been with us since the start of the tech revolution. It seems we are under the mistaken belief that the early technology companies — such as Google, Wikipedia, eBay — were onto something when they tore down office walls, removed cubicles and allowed workers to float in a sea of open access. Teamwork became the goal.

Sep 6, 2019 Jessica Kriegel

Inside California’s New Paid Family Leave Law

California recently approved a longer paid family leave, allowing workers whose blessed events fall on the right side of the new law to take up to eight weeks off with partial pay to bond with a new baby. How’s that going to work? 

Aug 12, 2019 Laurel Rosenhall

Employers Urged to Find New Ways to Address Workers’ Mental Health

Last year, California passed legislation that made it the first state to establish voluntary standards for workplace mental health. Companies like Sutter Health, Walgreens and Bank of America quickly signed on to address mental health wellness in the workplace. Will others follow suit?

Jul 18, 2019 Brian Rinker, California Healthline

Dilemma of the Month: Retaliating Against Whistleblowers

After an employee lodged an OSHA complaint against a company, his manager found a journal in the employee’s office that would make any reasonable person cringe in the era of #MeToo. Comstock’s columnist Suzanne Lucas explains why it’s still a bad idea to terminate the employee in this case.

Jul 18, 2019 Suzanne Lucas