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Infographic: Opioids and the American workplace

Brian Wallace Pharmaceutical

The opioid crisis has started to affect workplaces, where 31% have already seen an overdose, injury, or arrest related to opioids. Getting people the help they need is about more than just being compassionate — it can also make a workplace safer. Employees who are suffering from addiction can often feel their job would be threatened if they were to come forward and seek help. Providing employees with a path to rehab and then back into the workplace can address the opioid crisis head-on.

The importance of autism training for police officers

Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

Dealing with autistic and differently abled people has been a challenge for law enforcement, primarily due to a lack of training. A deadly shooting on June 14 at a Costco in Corona, California, outside Los Angeles, brought this issue to the forefront again. Following the incident, a panel convened to increase awareness of autism, train officers, and prevent further such horrors. The panel, hosted by Autism Society Inland Empire, urged families to join the awareness discussion, share information, and help train law enforcement officers.

Common myths about employee handbooks

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Employers are not required to have a handbook. That is true. State and federal regulations do, however, require employers to provide a variety of information to their employees. The easiest way to do this is often via some sort of handbook. Yet, for those organizations without a handbook, it can be easy to find excuses not to create one. Here are a few myths about handbooks and the corresponding reasons why it is a good idea for every employer to have one.

Financial transparency becomes an obstacle for private prison reform

Michelle R. Matisons Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

The private prison industry is motivated by supposed relative efficiency largely due to facilities operating without as much public oversight as their government-owned counterparts. When the prison population swelled to over 2 million under drug prohibition policies that persist today, overcrowded facilities received negative press for violating international human rights standards. A new report from The Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) verifies that while private prison facilities contain a range of violations, these institutions are significantly hindered by recent banking divestments to the tune of almost $1.93 billion.

3 things that make it hard to fire someone in any industry

Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Terminations are stressful for everyone. While there are challenges unique to firing specialists in any industry, there are a few things that make it hard to fire someone regardless of industry. Here are some common challenges around terminations and strategies for addressing them. For example, documentation is one of the most common issues with terminations. In some cases, we do not have enough documentation.

Travel2020: Facial biometrics put travelers, criminals under the microscope

Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

While facial recognition technology gets tested at U.S. airports, controversy over its legality is brewing on the public front and in hearings on Capitol Hill. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) testified last week before a House panel regarding the government’s use of facial recognition. Congress is moving toward legislation that would curtail the use of the controversial technology or at least offer some acceptable parameters. Surveys show air passengers love the new technology, which measures facial characteristics against a database of targets with lightning speed.

Chronic pain: We are adding to our patients’ suffering

Lisa Cole Medical & Allied Healthcare

I started my professional practice in chemical dependency. Now, many decades later, I find myself advocating for chronic pain patients just to get them the drugs they need to continue functioning. More and more, they are erroneously considered “addicts” and being titrated down, cut off or given inadequate substitutes to what had been working well enough for them. Most simply want to attend to their activities of daily living without being immobilized by pain. This current prescribing practice only contributes to our patients’ suffering versus offering relief.

Hate crimes are on the rise. Is law enforcement ready to tackle them?

Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

A recent study released by Safehome.org reveals that hate crimes reported to law enforcement rose by 22% nationally between 2013 and 2017. Safehome analyzed data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, covering 8,500 cases reported to police during this time. The states that saw the highest spike in hate crimes were Wyoming (a whopping 2,200% increase) followed by Georgia, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and Delaware. While the data is shocking, the actual number of incidents experienced is probably much higher since hate crimes often go unreported.

LinkedIn: Considerations for military personnel transitioning to a civilian…

Roy Phillips Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

If you will soon be transitioning from the military, it may be a good idea to create a professional-looking LinkedIn profile. Understandably, many service members are wary of social media websites. This is especially true for anyone who has gone through the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) course. However, if you are all through with your military service, LinkedIn may help you land the right job. There are some very important considerations to make before you create your profile.

Your company’s biggest cybersecurity risks: Technology and processes

Terri Williams Science & Technology

A recent SANS survey of security professionals identified today's biggest cybersecurity risks. Among survey respondents, 61% chose people as the greatest risk, and Part 1 of this article examined why. However, 22% of security professionals identified technology as the greatest risk, and 14% selected processes and procedures. Part 2 of this article examines those risks in addition to ways to making your company more secure.

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