Delta
announced this week it will start paying flight attendants during boarding, a
first for a major U.S. airline. Usually, flight attendants are paid starting
when the aircraft doors close. The plan will go into effect June 2.
According
to CNBC, “the pay changes
were announced as a union campaign by the Association of Flight Attendants that
started in late 2019 picks up steam again as the COVID pandemic crisis wanes
for airlines.”
Delta’s
more than 20,000 flight attendants are not unionized, unlike those at other
major U.S. airlines.
“As
we get closer to filing for our union vote, management is getting nervous,” the
AFA said in a statement. The organization is the country’s largest flight
attendants union, representing cabin crews at United, Spirit, Hawaiian, Alaska
and Frontier, among others.
The
boarding pay is on top of the 4% raises Delta announced in March, employees’
first annual increase since 2019.
Airbnb Employees Can Now Work Remotely Forever
Airbnb
told its 6,000 employees on Thursday that they would have the option to
permanently work remotely, reported the New York Times. Airbnb also told
its U.S. employees that they could move to anywhere in the country without a
reduction to their compensation.
Airbnb
previously aimed to return employees to the office in September 2022.
In
an email sent to
employees, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky wrote, “Two decades ago,
Silicon Valley startups popularized the idea of open floor plans and on-site
perks, which were soon adopted by companies all around the world. Similarly,
today’s startups have embraced remote work and flexibility, and I think this
will become the predominant way that we all work 10 years from now. This is
where the world is going.”
Chesky noted employees can live and work in over 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location but will still need a permanent address for tax and payroll purposes. He also expected in-person gatherings every quarter for about a week at a time with some senior roles expected to gather more often.
Exxon Ban on LGBTQ Pride Flag Leads to Employee Backlash
Bloomberg recently reported that Exxon Mobil Corp. will prohibit the LGBTQ-rights flag from being flown on the corporate flagpole outside its offices during Pride month in June, which prompted backlash from Houston-based employees.
Exxon
updated company guidance on what flags can be displayed outside its offices,
banning “external position flags” such as PRIDE and Black Lives Matter,
according to the policy seen by Bloomberg News. Instead, the rule
permits a flag representing an LGBTQ employees’ group that does not prominently
feature Exxon’s corporate logo.
In
response, members of Exxon’s PRIDE Houston Chapter are refusing to represent
the company at the city’s June 25 Pride celebration, according to an employee
group email also seen by Bloomberg.
“Corporate
leadership took exception to a rainbow flag being flown at our facilities” last
year, Exxon’s PRIDE Houston employee group wrote in the email. “PRIDE was
informed the justification was centered on the need for the corporation to
maintain ‘neutrality.’”
“The
updated flag protocol is intended to clarify the use of the ExxonMobil branded
company flag and not intended to diminish our commitment to diversity and
support for employee resource groups,” Tracey Gunnlaugsson, vice president of
human resources, said in a statement. “We’re committed to keeping an open,
honest, and inclusive workplace for all of our employees, and we’re saddened
that any employee would think otherwise.”
Tyson Foods Launches Free Education Program for All U.S. Team Members
Beginning
this summer, Tyson Foods U.S. team members will have the ability to attain
master’s, undergraduate and associate degrees, career certificates and literacy
and technology fundamentals — all for free.
Tyson is partnering
with social impact company Guild to expand its existing Upward Academy program
to include access to more than 175 programs from over 35 of the nation's top
universities and learning providers. The four-year, $60 million investment will
cover 100% of all tuition, books, and fees for team members.
“This
commitment to our team members reinforces our belief that they are the
lifeblood of our current and future success. Providing equity and opportunity
to every single member of our team is part of our goal to make Tyson the most
sought-after place to work,” said John R. Tyson, the executive vice president
and chief sustainability officer at Tyson Foods. “Providing education benefits
will continue to lay a foundation for personal and career growth for our team
members.”
The
initiative expands Upward Academy, an onsite adult education program, which,
since 2016, has provided free ESL, GED, citizenship, financial and digital
literacy classes to frontline employees. Upward Academy is currently offered at
46 Tyson locations. With the addition of the online curriculum, team
members at all U.S. locations will now have access to nearly 200 learning
programs provided by dozens of institutions of higher learning.
Fidelity to Offer Bitcoin Option on 401(k) Plans
According to the Washington Post, Fidelity Investments will soon have a bitcoin option on its 401(k) plans, making the nation’s largest provider of such workplace retirement accounts the first to wade into the highly volatile crypto landscape.
The shift announced Tuesday pushes cryptocurrency even further into the mainstream but it comes as federal regulators have expressed concerns about employers tethering digital assets to retirement savings.
Dave Gray, Fidelity’s head of workplace retirement offerings and platforms, told the Post that there is “growing interest” in vehicles for investing in digital assets, and in avenues for incorporating cryptocurrencies into long-term investment strategies.
Fidelity, which manages more than $11 trillion in assets, said in a news release that the shift will “enable employees who are comfortable with the risks and volatility of cryptocurrency” to allocate as much as 20% of their investments to bitcoin within the core lineup of their 401(k) plan. It will be available to employees midyear.
