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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. …

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:6 mins read
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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…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:3 mins read
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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…

  • Post category:Perceptyx
  • Reading time:4 mins read
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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…

  • Post category:Clarasys
  • Reading time:39 mins read
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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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Can It Be a Commodity if It’s Not Fungible?

Understanding NFTs as commodities calls for a more nuanced analysis than what their “non-fungible” label might suggest at first glance. By Yvette D. Valdez The appropriate regulatory characterization of cryptocurrencies and digital assets for US legal purposes has spawned many pages of analysis and occupied many hours of industry, law firm, and regulatory consideration. Significant amounts of commentary, and later government and judicial attention, have been devoted to determining whether fungible…

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Decentralizing the Electric Grid

The electric grid, a vast and complex system of wires and power plants, is essential to our economy and underpins our industrial strength. Currently, we face a critical challenge: our electricity demands — expected to nearly double by 2040 due to factors like AI compute, reshoring, and “electrification” — are soaring, but our grid infrastructure and operations struggle to keep pace. To seize a future of energy abundance, we must…

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Study unpicks why childhood maltreatment continues to impact on mental and physical health into adulthood

Individuals who experienced maltreatment in childhood – such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse, or emotional and physical neglect – are more likely to develop mental illness throughout their entire life, but it is not yet well understood why this risk persists many decades after maltreatment first took place.In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the University of Cambridge and Leiden University found…

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Atheendar Venkataramani: Opportunity, Hope, and Health

Howie and Harlan are joined by Atheendar Venkataramani, a physician, health economist, and director of the Perelman School of Medicine’s Opportunity for Health Lab, to discuss the powerful role of economic opportunity in population health outcomes. Harlan reports on two studies where treatments’ unexpected benefits leapt ahead of understanding why they work. Howie reflects on the business model of the pharma industry and the market reaction to anti-obesity drugs. Links:…

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Massachusetts Set to Restrict Employers from Using Credit Checks in Making Employment Decisions

Seyfarth Synopsis: On March 14, 2024, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation that would prohibit employers from obtaining or using a true credit report for employment purposes. The proposed law, which includes only limited exceptions, would be one of the most restrictive of its kind in the country. The bill is expected to pass the Senate and be signed by Governor Maura Healey. If passed, the law would go…

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USCIS’s New Rule Increases Automatic EAD Extensions from 180 to 540 Days

Quick Hits USCIS extended the automatic extension period for eligible EADs from up to 180 days to up to 540 days for applicants who timely and properly filed their Form I-765 applications. The eligible applicants are those who filed their Form I-765 1) on or after October 27, 2023 and if the application is still pending, on April 8, 2024; or 2) on or after April 8, 2024 and on…

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New AI-powered capabilities for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform introduced

Today we launched the 2024 release wave 1 for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform, a rollout of new features and enhanced capabilities slated for release between April and September 2024. These updates include new Microsoft Copilot capabilities across Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform—as well as role-based extensions of Copilot for Microsoft 365—that transform business processes with natural language processing, AI-generated insights, and assistance with time-consuming tasks. This morning’s Microsoft Business Applications…

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Four Cambridge researchers awarded prestigious European Research Council Advanced Grants

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced today the award of 255 Advanced Grants to outstanding research leaders across Europe, as part of the EU’s Horizon Europe programme. Four University of Cambridge researchers are amongst those to receive this prestigious and competitive funding.The University of Cambridge’s grant awardees are: Dr Albert Guillén i Fàbregas in the Department of Engineering for his project Scaling and Concentration Laws in Information Theory. Fàbregas,…

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Microaggressions Can Become Part of an Organization’s Culture. Here’s Why

We’re talking a lot about making sure everyone feels included and respected in the workplace. But sometimes, it’s not the big, obvious stuff that makes people feel excluded and disrespected – it’s the little things. We have likely all experienced situations where someone’s words or actions felt unkind or disrespectful towards our identity. These subtle actions are referred to as “microaggression”.  They can target various aspects of who we are,…

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How institutional investors can gain a performance edge

In a nearly four-decade career as an institutional investor, Christopher Ailman has experienced multiple economic cycles. As investors navigate one of the most difficult operating environments in history, Ailman, chief investment officer (CIO) of the California State Teachers’ Retirement Fund (CalSTRS), a US public pension fund with a portfolio valued at $331 billion, emphasizes the importance of getting the timing right: “Being right too early is indistinguishable from being wrong.”…

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The Impact of the Coming US Elections on Latin America

The United States seems to be embarked on a heated rematch between two leaders who, despite their different personalities, respective supporter bases and ideological standpoints, have very little to offer in the way of a new relationship between the United States and its southern neighbours. Rather, both a Democrat or a Republican Administration will likely just be concerned with maintaining most of the region in line with its foreign policy…

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Information Technology: Threat or Opportunity?

On April 10, the Valdai Discussion Club hosted an expert discussion on international information security, in which both Russian and foreign experts took part. The moderator was Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for the Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club. The topic of international information security has acquired particular relevance in the context of rapid scientific and technological progress. It contains both a wide…

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What Business Leaders Really Think About Generative AI

With its potential to transform life as we know it, generative AI (GenAI) has taken the world by storm. Beneath the hype, knowing how people are using the technology and their attitude towards it could help us anticipate its trajectory. A new INSEAD survey of managers and executives across industries and continents may offer some clues.The survey of some 1,200 INSEAD alumni illustrates that corporate decision-makers and employees alike are embracing…

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  • Reading time:9 mins read
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Meal delivery shouldn’t be a luxury

McKinsey: Delivery Hero is a pioneer in the meal delivery space. What factors, capabilities, and strategic decisions have contributed to its success? What were the turning points, if any?Niklas Östberg: One of the key strengths of Delivery Hero was always our willingness to take risks and innovate. Many of our brands were part of the first wave of online marketplaces that digitalized the phone-based meal ordering process, enabled by an…

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Ways To Evaluate Large Language Models for Cybersecurity Applications

Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute(opens in new window) (SEI) and OpenAI published a white paper(opens in new window) that found that large language models (LLMs) could be an asset for cybersecurity professionals, but should be evaluated using real and complex scenarios to better understand the technology’s capabilities and risks. LLMs underlie today’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, such as Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Bing AI, and ChatGPT, released in November 2022 by…

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NCAA Athletes as Employees Could Raise Immigration Concerns for International Students

Quick Hits Momentum to classify NCAA athletes as employees may impact international athletes’ immigration status and jeopardize their participation in NCAA sports. Most student visas limit holders’ ability to work while studying in the United States. Changes to U.S. immigration law may be necessary to allow international athletes to continue to participate in NCAA sports moving forward. In the Dartmouth College case, an NLRB regional director found that the players…

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  • Reading time:11 mins read
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Microsoft partners redefine healthcare with AI solutions

After the excitement of HIMSS24, healthcare organizations are harnessing AI momentum leveraging our partner network to bring transformative healthcare solutions to market. Our presence at the event revolved around the theme ‘shaping a healthier future.’ With that goal in mind, we focused on our partners’ innovative use of data and AI solutions in three key areas: solving care continuum challenges, modernizing data estates to unlock powerful insights, and accelerating essential…

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When Climate Goals, Housing Policy, and Corporate R&D Collide, Social Good Can Emerge

For almost four years, Omar Asensio and his colleagues have been studying the impact of federal energy programs on low-income neighborhoods.The intersection of technology—artificial intelligence, in particular—and public policy has long been an area of focus for Asensio, a visiting fellow with the Institute for Business in Global Society (BiGS) at Harvard Business School. When the team’s research was published in Nature Sustainability in March, one organization watching closely was…

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Unlocking autonomous vehicle development: TIER IV’s open source blueprint

Shinpei Kato, CEO of TIER IV, envisions a future of transportation in which open source revolutionizes the autonomous-vehicle industry. Such a disruption would parallel Android’s rise to dominate the mobile software market, which is a testament to the power of open source. It has been a cornerstone not only in mobile software but also in web browsing with Mozilla Firefox, in cryptocurrency through Ethereum, and in the realm of code…

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Embracing the race: How to win in the subscription economy 

In the first article in our series on subscription business models, we spoke about the need to change your business and operating model to drive growth and loyalty in your subscription offerings. This requires much more collaboration across functions and more cohesive communications to be successful, much like a race day Formula One team.In this article, we explore in more detail what this means for your business functions and how…

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  • Reading time:10 mins read
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Proving bad faith: it takes a tough cookie?

In a case centred around the iconic Dutch biscuit  – the stroopwafel – the highest trademark court of the Benelux recently gave some welcome guidance on the burden of proof for showing bad faith. Bad faith EU and Benelux trademark law protect against the filing of trademarks in bad faith. Although a broad term that is meant to encompass a variety of different factual situations, the concept of bad faith…

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Sustaining a Legacy of Giving in Turkey

Brian Kenny: On February 6, 2023 a 7.8 Magnitude earthquake shattered the pre-dawn calm in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. Tremors could be felt as far away as Israel and Cyprus. A few hours later as the sun appeared on the horizon, another powerful quake struck 60 miles to the north. In the days that followed the death toll would exceed 45,000 making these the deadliest earthquakes in 1500 years.…

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Building the future: Focusing on digitalization and sustainability

This year will be challenging. We expect the increase in costs to outgrow the increase in revenues.Lionel Souque, CEO, Rewe GroupMcKinsey: What was 2023 like for Rewe? What are the things that stand out? Lionel Souque: It was quite a good year, especially from a sales perspective, although that was partly driven by inflation, not necessarily by volume growth. Penny, our discount business, did especially well in 2023—even better than…

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Strikes From Underwater: The Impact of Submarines on Security in Northeast Asia

All countries in Northeast Asia (except Mongolia) are aiming to create the most combat-ready submarine fleets. It is worth noting the clear emphasis on the task of striking ground targets by the South Koreans and, in the future, also the Japanese. Their focus is also on improving stealth and autonomy for long-term operations in more remote sea areas. Taiwan stands apart, as their independent construction of submarines seems more like…

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State of Grocery Europe 2024: Signs of Hope

For the European grocery industry, 2023 was a challenging year. Inflation led consumers to tighten their belts, leading to a drop in volume and significant downtrading. As a result, industry growth was significantly below food price inflation. Food price inflation in Europe was 12.8 percent in 2023, while grocery sales grew at a rate of only 8.6 percent. Discounters and private labels benefited from this market environment and were yet…

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When AI Investments Pay Off in Marketing

Research Highlight Marketing leaders are realizing gains from AI in three key areas, new research shows: increasing sales productivity, increasing customer satisfaction, and reducing marketing overhead costs. Christine Moorman and Colleen Hickey April 09, 2024 Reading Time: 5 min  Patrick George / Ikon Images From content creation to software coding and customer segmentation, artificial intelligence deployment fever is real. But amid a great deal of media, analyst, and executive speculation…

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Why Work Rituals Bring Teams Together and Create More Meaning

Think about all the routines you follow on a regular basis: When you’re getting ready for work, you brush your teeth, go for a 20-minute walk, then take a shower. Before giving a big presentation in the office, you might repeat a mantra to mentally prepare. And at the end of a long workweek, you gather with your spouse and kids to enjoy pizza and a movie on Friday nights.These…

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Tradespeople wanted: The need for critical trade skills in the US

The US skilled labor market is facing record-high pressure, particularly for companies with manufacturing and construction operations. Increasing labor scarcity, amplified by the COVID-19 disruptions, has intensified competition for talent, raising the sectors’ average wages by more than 20 percent since the first quarter of 2020. Since money wages have rarely, if ever, fallen in the United States, this cost reset is effectively permanent, threatening margins and long-term growth. And…

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How Ecosystem-Led Growth Unlocks the Next Generation of GTM

In this conversation, a16z Growth general partner Sarah Wang speaks with Crossbeam CEO Bob Moore about his new book, Ecosystem-Led Growth: A Blueprint for Sales and Marketing Success Using the Power of Partnerships. They dive into how this approach can improve customer acquisition, account expansion, and access to new markets by leveraging partners and partner data. Sharing examples from Crossbeam, as well as his previous companies RJMetrics and Stitch, Bob explains…

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