Alphabet’s Google told its staff in North America to not go into their offices unless they have to, becoming one of the latest companies seeking to protect workers from the spreading coronavirus. From a report: The Mountain View, California-based tech giant is “recommending” workers stay home until at least April 10, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. The company…
Tag: memo
Nevada Democrats To Use iPads Loaded With Google Forms To Track Caucus
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNET: Nevada’s Democratic Party said Thursday it plans to use iPads loaded with survey app Google Forms to calculate voting results in next week’s caucuses. The system is an effort to avoid a repeat of the Iowa caucus chaos. The app will be loaded onto 2,000 iPads purchased by the party and distributed to…
Facebook To IRS: Refund Me, I’m Irish!
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes: Among the techniques featured in a 2012 City Pages story on The 10 Most Corrupt Tax Loopholes was pretending to be Irish. Chris Parker wrote, “Most people associate such exhaustive money-laundering with drug cartels. But it’s now standard practice at firms like Eli Lilly, Google, Microsoft, Pfizer, and Facebook. The only difference is that when drug…
Frustration Grows In China As Face Masks Compromise Facial Recognition
schwit1 shares a report from Quartz: Face masks are mandatory in at least two provinces in China, including the city of Wuhan. In an effort to contain the coronavirus strain that has caused nearly 500 deaths, the government is insisting that millions of residents wear protective face covering when they go out in public. As millions don masks across the country,…
Mozilla Lays Off 70 As It Waits For New Products To Generate Revenue
According to TechCrunch, Mozilla has laid off about 70 employees today. From the report: In an internal memo, Mozilla chairwoman and interim CEO Mitchell Baker specifically mentions the slow rollout of the organization’s new revenue-generating products as the reason for why it needed to take this decision. The overall number may still be higher, though, as Mozilla is still looking into…
How Amazon Sacrifices Safety For Speed For Its Delivery Network
An anonymous reader shares a report: The speed and convenience of Amazon’s own delivery network has regularly come at the price of safety, as detailed in an extensive report by BuzzFeed News and ProPublica — including the death of Joy Covey, Amazon’s first CFO, who died when a van delivering Amazon packages turned left in front of her while she was…
Vox Media Fires Hundreds of Freelance Writers, Blaming California’s ‘Gig Economy’ Law
Since 2003 Vox Media has been covering California’s sports on its SB Nation blogs largely with independent contractors. But they’re making big changes to comply with a new California law targetting companies in the gig economy, according to the Los Angeles Times: Vox Media will end contracts with about 200 people, including non-California freelancers who cover teams based in the state, and…
Google Under Investigation For ‘Thanksgiving Four’ Firings, Allegedly Discouraging Unions
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: The U.S. National Labor Relations Board has started a new investigation into Google’s labor practices. An agency spokesperson confirmed to CNBC Monday that the probe, which will include whether Google violated labor laws when it recently fired four employees, has officially commenced. It will also look at whether Google discouraged employees from engaging…
Google Cancels Weekly All-Hands Meetings Amid Growing Workplace Tensions
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: Google is getting rid of one of its best-known workplace features: TGIF, its weekly all-hands meeting. The company confirmed to CNBC that it will instead hold monthly all-hands meetings that will be focused on business and strategy while holding separate town halls for “workplace issues.” An email announcing the change was previously reported…
EPA To Limit Science Used To Write Public Health Rules
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: The Trump administration is preparing to significantly limit the scientific and medical research that the government can use to determine public health regulations, overriding protests from scientists and physicians who say the new rule would undermine the scientific underpinnings of government policymaking. A new draft of the Environmental Protection Agency…