This article provides a roundup of recent news stories related to employment. Team ZipRecruiter will share frequent updates.
- The White House announced that by mid-January, employees of private companies will be able to get health care reimbursement for at-home Covid tests.
- Two courts temporarily blocked President Biden’s vaccine mandates; in Louisiana, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been blocked from enforcing vaccines for healthcare workers, and in Kentucky, the Biden administration has been blocked from enforcing a regulation that requires contractors’ employees to get vaccinated.
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all private sector employees will be required to implement a vaccine mandate starting December 27. Children between the ages of 5-11 will also be required to show proof of at least one vaccination dose before entering indoor dining, entertainment venues, and more indoor activities.
- According to US health officials and Dr. Anthony Fauci, early information on the coronavirus Omicron variant shows it may be less dangerous than the Delta variant.
- With the share of American workers voluntarily quitting their jobs each month at a record high, a new trend is emerging. “Quittoks” and Reddit’s forum R/antiwork showcase the growing trend of publicizing one’s resignation.
- A global chip shortage is making it harder to purchase smartphones and video game consoles for the holidays.
- Major League Baseball owners unanimously voted to trigger a labor stoppage, the league’s first since 1994, in an attempt to sign a new collective bargaining agreement between the MLB and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) ahead of the upcoming season. The MLBPA opposes the shutdown arguing that it is unnecessary and imposes a hardship on players, who now cannot sign with new teams or be traded until the lockout ends.
- Vishal Garg, the CEO of mortgage company Better.com, laid off more than 900 employees (about 9% of its staff) via a Zoom call. He cited efficiency, performance, and productivity as the reasons for the layoff.
