As the saying goes, the news never stops. In this weekly news roundup, we’ll cover the top news stories impacting American workplaces and communities.
1. New Legislation Aims to Raise Minimum Wage to $17 by 2028
Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Chairman Bernie Sanders, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, have introduced the Raise the Wage Act of 2023.
The bill would gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $17 by 2028. It would also improve the standard of living for approximately 28 million workers by addressing income inequality and ensuring fair wages for tipped, teen and disabled workers.
Additionally, the legislation indexes future increases to median wage growth to prevent erosion of minimum wage value over time.
Download Fair360’s Meeting in a Box to learn more about advocating for equality in the workplace.
2. US Labor Shortage Continues
The U.S. labor shortage persists, with job openings still below pre-pandemic levels.
Despite talk of a cooling labor market, there were 9.6 million job openings in June, down slightly from May. Factors fueling the shortage include decreased labor force participation, reduced immigration and strong demand for labor due to a robust economy, John Blevins, a guest lecturer at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, told Newsweek.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports 13 states are most affected by the labor shortage: Alabama, Arkansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont.
3. Workplace Challenge: Dealing With ‘Loud Laborers’
Workers known as “loud laborers” have gained attention for emphasizing self-promotion and visibility in the workplace, often talking extensively about their tasks and achievements rather than focusing on the work itself.
CNBC notes these individuals may lack self-esteem or seek external validation, leading them to overcompensate through constant self-promotion.
While this behavior can impact team dynamics and create an atmosphere of competition, experts suggest that leaders should recognize and value quiet, productive work and vocal self-promotion, fostering a balanced and inclusive work environment.
4. Watch Our Latest Career Advice Video!
Fair360’s Career Advice video segment features interviews with professionals on how they are navigating their careers. These professionals also share the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Our latest Career Advice video features Theresa Spralling, CEO Emeritus of the Women of AT&T National Organization and Associate Director Diversity, AT&T (a Hall of Fame company). Spralling discussed her advice for women of color and the challenges of building high-performance teams. Also, she discussed how to keep workplace fairness at the forefront.
View other Career Advice videos here.
5. FDA Approves J&J’s New Bispecific Antibody Treatment for Difficult Blood Cancer
Johnson & Johnson (a Fair360 Hall of Fame company) announced that its antibody-based therapy, Talvey, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating a challenging form of blood cancer, according to Reuters.
Talvey, a bispecific antibody, is designed to bring cancer cells and immune cells together. This enhances the body’s immune system to combat cancer.
The therapy’s approval is accompanied by an FDA “boxed” safety warning due to potential risks of aggressive immune response and neurologic toxicity. The accelerated approval is supported by mid-stage trial data, indicating that 73.6% of patients achieved either partial or complete disappearance of cancer through the treatment.
