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Notable Three-Lawyer Labor and Employment Team Joins Seyfarth in California

LOS ANGELES (April 16, 2024) - Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced today the addition of a three-lawyer team to its labor and employment department further expanding its service offerings nationally and internationally. The trio of prominent employment litigators joins Seyfarth from Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. Clifford “Seth” Sethness has built a formidable reputation over the past two decades as a leading labor and employment attorney. He joins Seyfarth as a…

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Our year with Copilot: What Microsoft has learned about AI at work

How We Did It “Every company will have a slightly different approach,” says Nathalie D’Hers, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Digital, who oversaw the internal rollout to our more than 200,000 employees. “In our case, we zeroed in first on the roles that we knew would gain a lot of benefit.”It made sense for sales to get first access: After all, they need to know the product inside and out…

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Investment market update: March 2024

While inflation continues to be a challenge for many economies, there are positive signs in the UK and around the world. Read on to find out what may have affected stock markets and your investment portfolio in March 2024. Remember, volatility is part of investing and most people should invest with a long-term outlook. If you have any questions about your investment strategy or performance, please contact us. UK In…

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Balancing productivity with attracting talent

September 2022 had the highest value of construction output (£15,125m) since 2010. While inflation has no doubt played its part, the prospect of rising order books has to be set against employment figures for the sector, which, as shown in the graph, have yet to return to anything near their 2019 levels. The Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB’s) latest Construction Skills Network (CSN) report predicts that the UK construction industry…

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How to Build a Space Station

Q: Nanoracks was founded in 2009. What was it like to launch a space startup at that point? There were very few space startups and credibility was low. Nanoracks was one of the first, if not the first company, knocking on the door at NASA saying, “Hey, if you give us some room on the International Space Station (ISS), we'll figure out how to use it.” A lot of people…

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Hard Tech Companies, Then and Now

It was a historic moment for humanity.  It was also an emotional moment for us at YC because we’ve been hoping this day would come since Blake was in the W16 batch, walking around with a plastic model of the plane he hoped to build. Most people know YC for funding software companies. But some of our most successful companies are the ones doing incredible things in the real world…

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Driving long-term business transformation

Many companies turn to transformation because their leaders seek to capture untapped potential or realize growth or efficiency gains. Yet transformations take work to get right. Our research shows less than a third of transformations reach their goals to improve organizational performance and sustain these improvements over time. In this episode of the Inside the Strategy Room podcast, we talk with two transformation experts about how to beat those odds…

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New Funds, New Era

I am pleased to announce that we have just raised $7.2B for the following venture strategies: American Dynamism ($600M), Apps ($1B), Games ($600M), Infrastructure ($1.25B), and Growth ($3.75B). This marks an important milestone for us.  When Marc and I started the firm in 2009, the conventional wisdom in Venture Capital was that in any given year, only 15 companies would ever generate $100M in revenue and those 15 companies would…

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5 ancient wellness tips that could improve your life

In recent years, the focus on personal wellness has been a growing trend. Indeed, data reported by Statista reveals that the forecasted size of the wellness market could reach as much as $8.47 trillion by 2027. While it may seem as though embracing mindfulness and striving to live a healthy life are modern trends, this isn’t the case. In fact, many philosophers and physicians from ancient civilisations had plenty of…

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Author Talks: Cass Sunstein on the perils of habituation

In this edition of Author Talks, McKinsey Global Publishing’s Roberta Fusaro chats with Cass Sunstein, the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School. They discuss Sunstein’s book Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There (Atria/One Signal Publishers, February 2024), cowritten with neuroscientist and professor Tali Sharot. It explores people’s propensity to habituate to both the good and the bad things in their lives and how that…

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How Long-Termism Can Boost Firm Performance

When Amazon went public in 1997, founder and then CEO Jeff Bezos’ message to shareholders was clear: His focus was on creating long-term value through bold operational investment. The following year, as promised, Amazon doubled its distribution capacity and more than tripled its inventory.And the rest, as we know it, is history. However, not many companies managed to follow in the footsteps of the tech giant, which by today, has a…

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Increasing your return on talent: The moves and metrics that matter

Every company understands how crucial return on investment is. But how many view return on talent the same way?Employees represent both an organization’s largest investment and its deepest source of value. In a world where businesses are navigating economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, and upheaval in the working model, it’s important that their talent systems emphasize both productivity and value creation. Having the right talent in the right roles—and giving…

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Gossipers have the edge

A few years ago, researchers attached recording devices to a few hundred Americans and sampled their conversations over several days. They found that these volunteers spent, on average, 52 minutes per day having conversations about people who were not there. In other words, gossiping. Gossip is a ubiquitous feature of human communication, explains Michele Gelfand, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Everyone seems to do…

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Serve More Customers With Inclusive Product Design

Sjoerd van Leeuwen/theispot.com Imagine a product that millions of people find frustrating to use because of a design choice that could have easily been avoided. If it were your product, wouldn’t you want to know who was frustrated by it and why, how to fix the problem, and how your organization could avoid making similar mistakes in the future? Obviously, letting a customer down is bad for business. Yet some…

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Could you face an unexpected bill now the Capital Gains Tax allowance has halved?

The gains you can make before potentially paying Capital Gains Tax (CGT) have halved for the 2024/25 tax year. If you plan to dispose of assets, the change could affect you. Read on to find out when you could be liable for CGT and some steps you might take to manage a bill. CGT is a tax on the profit you make when you sell certain assets that have increased…

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Consumers rule: Driving healthcare growth with a consumer-led strategy

As healthcare organizations look to the future, they cannot overlook the need to place the consumer at the center of all they do. Only by improving care outcomes and consumer experience will they deliver financial returns and remain competitive while meeting consumers’ holistic health and wellness needs. Consumers are more motivated than ever to choose healthcare options that offer a better experience, higher quality of care, and greater value. As…

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How Universities in Israel Keep Going

(This opinion essay was originally published on Newsweek on March 29, 2024.) We represent a group of 25 Yale faculty who have just returned from a five-day visit to Israel. Our mission was to learn from and make meaningful academic connections with our Israeli counterparts. Much of what we learned and observed astounded us. The environment is challenging, yet the Israeli academic enterprise has proven breathtakingly resilient. Imagine operating a…

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Struggling With a Big Management Decision? Start by Asking What Really Matters

Business leaders face a wide variety of difficult decisions: whether their companies should stay small or go big, whether layoffs are necessary for survival, whether a proposed partnership is a good idea or a recipe for disaster.When faced with difficult decisions, it can be tough for leaders to cut through all the questions that inevitably run through their heads so they can instinctively choose the right path. The best way…

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Eurasian Security Structure: From Idea to Practice

On February 29, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his state of the nation speech to the Federal Assembly, stressed the need to form a new contour of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia, as well as the country’s readiness for a substantive conversation on this topic with interested parties and associations. Already in April, 2024, the Russian leader’s idea was being pursued during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to…

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Valdai Club to Hold a Session Within the Framework of the International Kant Congress

On April 22, from 13:30 to 16:30 Kaliningrad Time (GMT +2), the Valdai Discussion Club will hold a special session as part of the International Kant Congress, titled “Reason and Progress? History of Civilisations Turned to the Future”. The session will be held at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (BFU) (Kaliningrad, Alexander Nevsky St., 14). In January 2024, during a visit to Kaliningrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with students from…

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WEBINAR – New Workplace Violence Prevention Program Requirements in California

Apr. 17, 2024  – As most California employers are now aware, a new workplace violence law (SB 553) requires essentially all CA employers to develop and implement written Workplace Violence Prevention Plans and training by July 1, 2024. The new requirements will be enforced by Cal/OSHA. Cost  –  There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. REGISTER HERE Join us for a two-part webinar series as attorneys from our Workplace Safety team guide…

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A Simple Phrase for Getting Better Help

Giving and receiving help are essential aspects of organisational life, whether that’s providing career advice or soliciting a colleague’s input on a tricky technical problem that you just can’t solve on your own. Through help exchange, individuals gain access to ideas, resources and relationships that help them complete tasks more efficiently and effectively than if working alone. However, a growing body of research has documented various ways in which people routinely…

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USCIS Again Increases Auto-Extended Work Permits for Certain EAD Renewals

Seyfarth Synopsis: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a Temporary Final Rule extending the automatic extension period for certain Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applicants from up to 180 days to up to 540 days. On April 4, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a Temporary Final Rule (TFR) extending the automatic extension period for certain Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applicants from up to…

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Zero Knowledge Summit (zkSummit) 2024: Field notes

Editor’s note: Field notes is a series where we report on the ground at significant industry, research, and other events. For this edition, Joseph Bonneau, a16z crypto research partner and NYU assistant professor, attended the 11th Zero Knowledge Summit (zkSummit) in Athens on Wednesday, April 10, where he took notes on the talks. The event, hosted by the Zero Knowledge podcast, had roughly 500 attendees and ran four simultaneous tracks…

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New Paid Leave Requirements for Chicago Employees Starting July 1 – What to Know and How to Prepare

Effective July 1, 2024, employers will need to comply with new paid leave requirements that apply to all Chicago employees (including those who work from home from Chicago). The Chicago City Council passed the Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance (“Paid Leave Ordinance”) on November 9, 2023. Although the ordinance’s new requirements originally were slated to go into effect on January 1, 2024, an amending ordinance delayed…

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Let’s get digi-physical: From ‘tap’ chips to Taylor Swift

Chris Lee is cofounder of IYK, a startup that makes digital experiences tangible through NFC chips. Michael Blau is a deal partner at a16z crypto and part-time generative artist. And Robert Hackett is an editor at a16z crypto. They discuss the merging of the digital and physical, new consumer experiences enabled by chipped goods, the challenge of counterfeits and bots, and more. Welcome to web3 with a16z, a show about…

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Better forecasting accuracy is achievable – Here’s how

The ability to accurately forecast results and behaviors has always been fundamental to business success. If a company can predict future outcomes, it will be able to leverage its skills and opportunities to increase revenue and make progress against its goals. Greater predictability leads to more effective budgeting and planning so that leaders and teams can make decisions with greater confidence. For instance, if a company can accurately forecast the…

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SEC, Federal Regulators Target Employees’ Use of Text Messages, Off-Channel Communications

Quick Hits Federal financial regulators are targeting employers for employees’ use of personal text messages or off-channel communications to discuss business, alleging it may violate recordkeeping rules. The actions raise concerns for financial employers given the increased use of personal electronic communications platforms and of the popularity of bring-your-own-device policies. The actions further highlight federal regulators’ push to incentivize employers to self-report potential legal violations by providing leniency in penalties. …

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Industrial relations, pay and unions

Who is Ludwig Erhard and what has he got to do with industrial relations in the UK? Ludwig Erhard became the first Minister of Economy of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. He faced an almost impossible situation.  Industrial production was around a third of what it had been in 1938, there were huge shortages of food and other essential consumer goods, the old Reichsmark was losing…

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May 2024 Visa Bulletin Shows No Advancement in Final Action Dates for EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Categories

Quick Hits The EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 final action dates will remain unchanged for all countries of chargeability. USCIS has confirmed it will accept employment-based adjustment of status applications based on the final action dates chart for the May 2024 Visa Bulletin. The EB-4 Certain Religious Workers category is extended until September 29, 2024. The May 2024 Visa Bulletin does not show any advancement in final action dates and dates…

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Want to Retain More Physicians? Focus on Burnout

We recently observed National Doctors’ Day in the United States, which was the finale of National Physicians Week. During this week we celebrate physicians and the critical impact their work has on the lives of their patients and patients’ loved ones. Evidence shows that this population is both distinctive and critical to healthcare organizations’ success, and requires specific attention to understand their experience and needs. As we recognize the contributions…

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The modernisation of B2B subscription offerings – PODCAST

In this episode of CX Talks, hosts and customer experience experts Simon Blosse and Tom Carpenter explore the shift towards flexible subscription models that B2B organisations are making, and the lessons they can draw from B2C practices.Listen here or read on for an edited transcript. Tom Carpenter: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of CX Talks. Today we’re going to be doing a bit of a focus on subscription…

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How Microsoft discovers and mitigates evolving attacks against AI guardrails

As we continue to integrate generative AI into our daily lives, it’s important to understand the potential harms that can arise from its use. Our ongoing commitment to advance safe, secure, and trustworthy AI includes transparency about the capabilities and limitations of large language models (LLMs). We prioritize research on societal risks and building secure, safe AI, and focus on developing and deploying AI systems for the public good. You…

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Does Foreign Policy No Longer Matter?

Apparently, the growing changes in international life will be so significant that they will affect not only the direct balance of power between the leading nations, but even our fundamental ideas about the degree of importance of certain types of state activity. We already see that the modern state is faced with such serious challenges that foreign policy is everywhere subject to considerations of a domestic, political nature. This applies…

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How to find opportunity in a crisis: Launching a spinoff business

Drop lets members receive targeted offers and earn rewards by shopping with their debit or credit cards. From the time CEO Derrick Fung cofounded Drop with his brother Darren Fung and Cameron Dearsley in 2015, he also recognized the enormous potential value in having large volumes of consumer transaction data. In 2020, the company launched Cardify (now called Drop for Business) to responsibly monetize that data.In a conversation with McKinsey’s…

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USCIS Schedule A Update: Faster Green Card Sponsorship for ‘Sciences or Arts’ High Achievers?

Quick Hits USCIS recently announced that it has updated its definition for “Schedule A, Group II” occupations. USCIS has now clarified that Schedule A, Group II “Sciences or Arts” occupations include occupations in any field of knowledge and/or skill for which colleges and universities commonly offer courses leading to a degree. This clarification aligns USCIS’s policy with DOL regulations. In connection with the current administration’s push to retain STEM talent,…

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Why Progress on Immigration Might Soften Labor Pains

Almost one-third of Americans consider immigration the most important “problem” that the United States faces, according to a new Gallup poll. And yet, companies say they need far more workers than the current system allows.Some business leaders say that visa restrictions remain too tight on visas for skilled and unskilled labor. Either way, immigration will be a critical issue during the US election season. The carefully negotiated bipartisan bill that…

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5 important changes that came into force in April 2024 and how they could affect your finances

The start of the new tax year on 6 April 2024 is an important date for your financial calendar. Several allowances and exemptions reset, including your ISA allowance, Dividend Allowance, and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Annual Exempt Amount. Now may be a good time to start utilising these allowances and exemptions to make more tax-efficient contributions to your savings and investments. However, the start of a new tax year also…

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