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What everyone should know about payroll fraud
Grace Ferguson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementPayroll is often an employer's biggest expense, making it a prime target for fraud on many levels. Employers, employees, third parties, and others all contribute to payroll rackets. For example, one type of fraud happens when companies misclassify employees as independent contractors. This type of misclassification strips the employee of their labor rights, as independent contractors are not protected by most employment regulations, including minimum wage and overtime pay laws.
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Coronavirus and student loans: What’s the impact?
Andy Kearns EducationThe coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life all over the globe. Not only has it taken lives, devastated families, caused excessive stress and worry, but it’s also hit a lot of people hard financially. It’s caused roughly 39 million Americans to file for unemployment benefits. If you’re a student loan borrower, you’ve likely been impacted by the effects of coronavirus, too, so it’s crucial to understand what’s changed.
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States are reopening their manufacturing sectors. Here’s what they…
Bambi Majumdar ManufacturingThe manufacturing industry will have a significant role in the coming economic recovery, so there is optimism to be had with the news of the sector reopening in many places. But worker safety must be of paramount importance. As we cautiously go into our next phase of battling this pandemic, manufacturing companies are preparing to protect workers from the spread of COVID-19.
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On equity: How the pandemic may impact schools in the future
Brian Stack EducationAs our nation prepares to enter a third month of altered operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an alarming reality is starting to give rise amongst policymakers, educators, and parents alike: When it comes to equity, many schools and school systems may in fact be worse off than they may have originally thought, and it will get worse before it gets better.
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Trails for two-wheelers: A look at the United States Bicycle Route System
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureMissouri’s Katy Trail State Park is a cyclist’s dream. Created by repurposing a 237-mile-long stretch of the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, the bicycle trail cuts across Missouri’s midriff with over half its length following Lewis & Clark’s path up the Missouri River as they launched their epic expedition of discovery. This trail is typical of a fast-growing number of long-distance cycling routes crisscrossing America that have inspired development of a national cycling route network known as the United States Bicycle Route System (USBRS).
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Preventing hate crimes: If you see something, say something
Linda Popky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAfter 9/11, when it became apparent we had to change our approach to security in the skies, as well as on the ground, the TSA was formed to manage new airport passenger screening protocols. A wave of mass shootings has led to enhanced security systems in public buildings. Because these measures alone can’t stop bad actors, we know we all have to be vigilant to what’s going on around us. If we see something, we have to say something. Now, we need to be on alert for a different type of threat. The number of hate crimes in the United States has risen consistently for the last three years.
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Report: Ranking the states ready for the future digital economy
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementCOVID-19 is changing how we make a living. Employment and gross domestic product are in free-fall. Amid the carnage, a new report has used metrics, from jobs to internet connectivity and the tech industry, to gauge the preparedness of 50 states and the District of Columbia for the future digital economy. The author of the report is Frances Chantree of STORAGECafé, a national storage space search website that is also a part of Yardi, a developer of investment and property management software.
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As many struggle, some small businesses are thriving during COVID-19
Kevin Reynolds Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementFor a pandemic that has been particularly bad for small businesses across the country, some sectors of the economy are using these months as a revival of sorts. As the demands of consumers have changed, some stagnant industries are getting a second chance. Economists have noted this trend is not uncommon in times like these. In nearly every major economic downturn, there are some small businesses that manage to provide exactly what the economy needs.
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Will federal emergency relief funds help alleviate K-12 education cuts?
Bambi Majumdar EducationOhio, Georgia, California, and Kansas were some of the first states to announce massive budget cuts in K-12 funding, and others will almost certainly follow soon. COVID-19 has led to a deep economic downturn that some say is worse than what Americans faced during the Great Depression. To date, over 38 million people have filed for unemployment aid. K-12 budget cuts in districts across the country will result in laid-off teachers and other workers. The education of a generation is at stake, and vulnerable children and families are facing higher risks.
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The new normal may be anything but
Linda Popky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementMaybe we've hit bottom. Three months into the COVID-19 lockdown, it appears that mitigation measures have "flattened the curve." Measures are being taken to reopen the economy on some level in just about every state in America. How far and how fast this will proceed remains to be seen. A common refrain is that we are trying to "get back to normal." There’s only one problem. Those days are gone — if not forever, for a very, very long time.
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