Posted inBusiness, COVID, Equity, Health, News

With federal COVID sick leave gone, workers feel pressure to show up at work

By Rae Ellen Bichell, KHN Economists and public health experts alike say paid sick leave is an essential tool — like testing, masks and vaccines — in the effort to prevent COVID-19 infection and keep workplaces safe. Yet the U.S. is in the midst of another COVID holiday season, and federal laws that offered COVID-related paid sick […]

Posted inBusiness, Economy, News

Supply chain problems — from salsa to sheet metal — are hampering Colorado businesses’ coronavirus recovery

Salsa -maker Amy Lasley used to throw away the disposable gloves she wears during food preparation. But as the price of nitrile gloves skyrocketed in recent months, she’s started to disinfect them with bleach and reuse them for cleaning outside the kitchen.  Other items are more expensive, too: The glass jars she packs her salsa […]

Posted inColoradans, COVID, Economy, Education, News

Three Colorado college programs aim to help people with disabilities join the workforce. The state is opening doors, too.

GREELEY — On a recent Friday afternoon in Greeley, Brendan Balmes stops by Crabtree Brewing Company for a beer and to say hello to his boss, Jeff Crabtree. The 28-year-old works here as an intern, but the pandemic has put things on hold for now. That does not stop Crabtree from giving Balmes a pop […]

Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

Opinion: The American dream will fade without public investment in health, education

Even before the pandemic, economic prospects for many Colorado families were dwindling into stagnation. COVID-19 has only further widened the gulf between working families and Colorado’s wealthiest. As our state looks to recover (and recover better than before), new evidence published by the Bell Policy Center supports what we have seen throughout American history — […]

Posted inNews, Politics and Government

Half of state employees don’t think equity, diversity and inclusion are prioritized. Here’s how Colorado is responding.

Colorado surveyed its roughly 30,000 state employees last year and asked if they thought leadership was making workforce equity, diversity and inclusion a priority.  Only a little more than half of Colorado’s workers who responded said yes.  “That number should be much higher,” said Kara Veitch, the executive director of Colorado Department of Personnel and […]

Posted inBusiness, Opinion, Opinion Columns

Opinion: How your employer uses perks like wellness programs, phones and free food to control your life

Companies offer all sorts of benefits and extras to attract the most favored workers, from health care and stock options to free food. But all those perks come at a price: your freedom. There’s a reason labor historians call these perks “welfare capitalism,” a term that originated to describe company towns and their subsidized housing, […]

Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

Opinion: Women are rising in the conservation movement, but still face #MeToo challenges

The #MeToo movement has caused profound shake-ups at organizations across the U.S. in the last two years. So far, however, it has left many unresolved questions about how workplaces can be more inclusive and equitable for women and other diverse groups. In its latest twist, over the last month a series of top executives have exited The Nature Conservancy, the largest […]