The nomination of Mikheil Kavelashvili, a family man with traditional values, for the presidency after Salome Zurabishvili, an ardent supporter of radical pro-Westernism is not a turn towards Russia, as many would like to claim, but a turn towards the majority of the Georgian population, which wants to be part of the Western world, but with certain “red lines” and traditional values. In its election race, Georgian Dream relied on…
An all too familiar countdown once again as we wait to hear the fate of the latest temporary extension to continue funding the government after midnight on Friday, December 20th. Employers should be aware that a shutdown will likely impact processing of immigration cases. During a shutdown, all but “essential” personnel are furloughed and not allowed to work. This overview outlines how key immigration-related agencies are expected to operate during…
Quick Hits Ontario’s Working for Workers Acts (Four, Five, and Six) have introduced changes to the ESA and the OHSA, impacting sick leave policies, job posting transparency, and workplace safety regulations. Some changes are already in force; others are coming in 2025 and 2026, including stricter job posting requirements. The proposed Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 includes unpaid leave provisions for child placement and long-term illness, as well as…
Sector Variations in Small Business ProductivityAmerica's small businesses vary widely in productivity across different sectors. While U.S. MSMEs are on par with those in the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and Italy in many areas, they lag significantly in mining, transportation and storage, and administrative services. The productivity ratio of MSMEs relative to large companies also varies by sector, with the mining sector facing the widest gap, followed by information and…
Green-steel manufacturing is crucial for the steel industry and the planet, but decarbonizing the global steel production chain is a massive undertaking. Today, the global steel industry is responsible for 7 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Europe is likely to be the first region to decarbonize, with CO2 taxes and other legislation offering incentives for rapid emissions reductions there. Other regions are likely to follow, driven by similar…
The director of NYU Stern’s Center for Human Rights and Business discusses the role companies can — and should — play in ensuring the health and safety of their global labor forces. Michael H. Posner, interviewed by Kaushik Viswanath December 19, 2024 Reading Time: 9 min Marie Montocchio/Ikon Images Michael H. Posner has had a long career in the promotion and protection of workers and citizens around the world. He…
Desert locusts typically lead solitary lives until something - like intense rainfall - triggers them to swarm in vast numbers, often with devastating consequences. This migratory pest can reach plague proportions, and a swarm covering one square kilometre can consume enough food in one day to feed 35,000 people. Such extensive crop destruction pushes up local food prices and can lead to riots and mass starvation. Now a team led by…
This commentary was adapted from episode 155 of the Health & Veritas podcast. Subscribe for weekly doses of expert insight on health and the healthcare industry. It’s our last episode of the calendar year and in the spirit of the season, I thought I would share some positive news. In our Thanksgiving episode, I offered thanks for some of the many successes of the past year, and there are many…
Every business has a best owner, which may—or may not—be your company. But recognizing that it’s time for a separation (which we define as spin-offs, split-offs, carve-outs, and other sales of businesses in a company’s portfolio) and actually executing separations effectively are very different propositions. Successful companies not only understand the separation imperative, but they also anticipate the challenges involved and take practical steps to meet them. As a result,…
Wearable haptic devices, which provide touch-based feedback, can provide more realistic experiences in virtual reality, assist with rehabilitation, and create new opportunities for silent communication. Currently, most of these devices rely on vibration, as pressure-based haptics have typically required users to wear stiff exoskeletons or other bulky structures.Now, researchers at Stanford Engineering have designed a comfortable, flexible knit sleeve, called Haptiknit, that can provide realistic pressure-based haptic feedback. Their design,…
The study, led by teams at the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, found that adolescents access a variety of different types of support including informal (such as friends and family), semi-formal (like school-based support), and formal services (such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).While support from friends and family was rated highly in terms of helpfulness, some services - including online support and helplines as well as…
When SHRM launched their #CivilityAtWork initiative, it felt like a rallying cry for everything we believe in and have been fighting for these last 15 years. Respectful, thriving workplaces are the dream we all share, but let’s be real—getting there isn’t always easy. In fact, 70% of leaders admit they don’t know where to start. At Civility Partners, we’ve had the absolute joy of partnering with HR leaders who dared…
As companies across the globe pursue decarbonization targets and the need for green power generation grows, 24/7 clean power purchase agreements (PPAs) are playing an increasingly important role. With their unique ability to provide constant green power, time-matched to demand, these next-level PPAs are helping to unlock investment in nascent technologies and scale their deployment—especially combined with advances in storage and flexible generation. Demand from leading hyperscalers, including major cloud…
Mark Airs/Ikon Images When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky faced a devastating crisis: Bookings on his vacation-rental marketplace plummeted 80% almost overnight, and the company was forced to postpone its planned initial public offering. Chesky responded by abandoning what he has described as a hands-off leadership style. He laid off 25% of the workforce, reorganized the company from business divisions to functional teams, and consolidated product…
Unlock M&A value through culture and leadership Over two-thirds of M&A activity fails to deliver value, often due to overlooked “People topics.” Our guide highlights how prioritising culture, leadership, and strategic alignment can drive performance across the transaction lifecycle. Download the full PDF to learn actionable strategies for defining priorities, minimising disruption, and achieving M&A success. Reading time: 2 minutes Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are significant milestones for any business,…
The Automotive Right to Repair Working Group convened by the Maine Attorney General will review proposed legislation that would substantially amend provisions of the Maine Right to Repair Law concerning access to mechanical data from telematics-equipped vehicles. Meanwhile, it appears provisions of the law requiring manufacturers of vehicles that “use a telematics system” to comply with standards imposed by an “independent entity” designated by the Attorney General will take effect…
The world is facing a “polycrisis”—a confluence of environmental and social issues that risk destabilizing the vital systems of human civilization. Our survival hinges on building resilience—the ability of systems to bounce back from shocks and ideally emerge stronger—within our ecological and social as well as economic and financial systems against the ramifications of the interconnected and mutually reinforcing challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution on one hand…
New opportunities are coming for organizations to use procurement to gain a competitive edge and drive sustainability impact through innovation and strategic partnerships. However, the complexities of global supply chains and rapidly changing market conditions can make it hard to capture the available value. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Operations, Mauro Erriquez, McKinsey senior partner, and Dominique Lebigot, chief purchasing officer (CPO) of LVMH Wines and Spirits, discuss how…
Like a bear gorging itself on salmon before hibernating for the winter, or a much-needed nap after Christmas dinner, this black hole has overeaten to the point that it is lying dormant in its host galaxy.An international team of astronomers, led by the University of Cambridge, used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to detect this black hole in the early universe, just 800 million years after the Big Bang.…
18 December 2024By Colm Bates, Vasco Botelho, Sarah Holton, Marc Roca I Llevadot and Mirko StanislaoThe growth of negotiated wages is expected to ease in 2025. This is the information emerging from the ECB wage tracker, which we will publish on a regular basis from now on. The ECB Blog explains the tool and how it can help monitor wage pressures in the euro area.Wages are an important driver of…
Your car, your cell phone, your LED holiday lights, even your credit card – all of them contain electronic chips made of semiconductors. These materials manipulate the flow of electricity and provide the foundation for modern electronics.Over the years, American investment in this essential technology has lagged, but the federal CHIPS and Science Act seeks to reinvigorate it. Passed in 2022, this legislation provides the U.S. Department of Commerce with…
The landscape of transgender employment laws is evolving globally, with various jurisdictions adopting laws that ensure inclusivity and non-discrimination in the workplace. This area is one of the most complex issues in employment law systems and has generated much controversy. Notwithstanding this, many global companies seek to support and promote the interests of women regardless of their gender identity or expression. This commitment aligns with the broader international trend of…
Quick Hits DHS’s new final rule amends and updates the regulatory definition and criteria governing “specialty occupation” adjudication, codifies existing policies related to deference to prior adjudications, and clarifies circumstances requiring the filing of a new or amended H-1B petition. The final rule expands H-1B cap exemption benefits by updating the definitions of “nonprofit research organization” and “governmental research organization,” and it extends the timeline for F-1 cap-gap where there…
Eurasia is abuzz. With the exceptions of Turkey’s Berlin—Baghdad railway and India’s Cotton Road, whose progress is being hindered by the Great Middle Eastern War, the Arctic route, the INSTC and the Middle Corridor all proceed at breakneck speed, against the backdrop of the EU’s derisking-framed friendshoring and of China’s investments in creating an integrated China-Southeast ecosystem. The Houthis and their assault on Western vessels played a prominent role in accelerating the pre-existing process of reglobalisation, which is emblematised by the aforementioned projects and which…
Battery technology has evolved significantly in recent years. Thirty years ago, when the first lithium ion (Li-ion) cells were commercialized, they mainly included lithium cobalt oxide as cathode material. Numerous other options have emerged since that time. Today’s batteries, including those used in electric vehicles (EVs), generally rely on one of two cathode chemistries: lithium iron phosphate (LFP), which was invented by Nobel Prize winner John Goodenough in the late…
Insights from Q5 Australia to help you lead with impact in 2025 Start 2025 strong with 7 key leadership lessons from Q5’s Australian team. From co-designing solutions and clear communication to embracing change and fostering team culture, these insights help leaders innovate, adapt, and empower their teams for success in the evolving business landscape. Reading time: 4 minutes In Australia and New Zealand, we see a new year as having…
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a permanent increase in the automatic extension period for certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) up to 540 days. The final rule will take effect on January 13, 2025. Background on the History of Automatic EAD Extensions The automatic extension of EADs was first introduced in 2016 to address extended processing times, which led to gaps in employment. Prior to the automatic extension, an…
Gilles Dellaert is the global head of Blackstone Credit and Insurance (BXCI), which was created to bring together Blackstone’s corporate credit, asset-based finance, and insurance groups. BXCI now manages more than $350 billion in assets, accounting for the bulk of Blackstone’s total credit assets and a substantial part of the firm’s $1 trillion-plus of assets under management (AUM). McKinsey’s Andrew Reich, Ari Libarikian, and David Schoeman sat down with Dellaert…
This includes the shutting down of Russian-language media, illegal detentions and searches of representatives of opposition parties and movements, the removal of opposition candidates from elections, the violation of the law by the authorities themselves (which has become commonplace), as well as the active and massive use of public resources, manipulations and falsifications in the elections, which allowed the Sandu regime to retain power. Thus, in the last presidential elections,…
Quick Hits On December 4, 2024, the Maine Department of Labor released final regulations for the state’s paid family and medical leave program. Employers must start payroll withholdings for the state’s paid family and medical leave program on January 1, 2025. Employers can apply for a private plan substitution after April 1, 2025, and must submit payroll contributions until a private plan substitution is approved. Payroll deductions for Maine’s paid…
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Today’s business leaders recognize transformation as the courageous choice required to deliver an ambitious business agenda. As we reported earlier this year, companies pursue transformation to reset the business, venture into areas of greater ambition, deliver bold growth, enable operating-model change, build new and competitive capabilities, and evolve their culture in ways that can set them apart from competitors.What is transformation? We define it as a process that begins with…
Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Just a few months ago, many people thought the battles over the value of the hybrid work model — and, on the flip side, return-to-office (RTO) mandates — were finally dying down. Two-thirds of U.S. companies had settled into a…
Quick Hits Starting in 2025, the SECURE 2.0 Act allows participants ages sixty to sixty-three to make “super-catch-up contributions” of up to $10,000 or 150 percent of the regular catch-up limit. Employers may need to amend their retirement plans by the end of 2024 to accommodate the new super-catch-up contributions or clarify their implementation. The introduction of super-catch-up contributions will require significant updates to payroll and recordkeeping systems to track…
This commentary originally appeared in the Hartford Courant. The return of President Trump portends sweeping changes across many areas of economic policy, and those impacts will be felt by virtually every business sector and every region of the state. In fact, even beyond Trump’s broad economic pledges of tax cuts, deregulation, and tariffs, and beyond the President-elect promises to repeal his own cap on state and local tax deductions (SALT);…
From bustling urban centers to small towns across the United States, the economic power and business potential of Latino communities is immense. Today, 19 percent of the US population identifies as Latino or Hispanic. According to the US Census Bureau, Latinos are expected to comprise approximately 28 percent of the total US population by 2060. Latino small-business owners also skew younger, which means there is great promise for long-term value…
The air around us contains a powerful solution for making agriculture more sustainable. Researchers at Stanford University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia have developed a prototype device that can produce ammonia – a key fertilizer ingredient – using wind energy to draw air through a mesh. The approach they developed, if perfected, might eliminate the need for a century-old method that produces ammonia by…
What caused the fall of the Assad government? The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government and the opposition’s rise to power were the result of many years of internal and external contradictions that had intertwined into a complex knot, leading to devastating consequences for Syria. These events cannot be called sudden or unexpected. They were the logical outcome of deep-seated processes that had been tearing the country apart for years and…
January 02, 2024 Harness your own creativity, learn to leverage ChatGPT, and have some fun are three of the suggestions from our faculty to help you make your new year healthier, more rewarding, and more prosperous. January 19, 2024 The door plug that plunged from an Alaska Airlines aircraft in flight earlier this month was there to seal off an unused emergency exit. Amy Fraher, a Yale SOM lecturer and…
Investment Management Division Report On Nov. 5, 2024, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) published OSC Staff Notice 81-736 (the Staff Notice), summarizing the activities and regulatory focus of the OSC’s Investment Management Division (IM Division), formerly known as the Investment Funds and Structured Products Branch, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. This bulletin highlights certain key insights from the Staff Notice, including: New artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency…