Welcome to the Silly Season. It’s easy to get caught up in the hysterics of the campaign and forget there are real things at stake this election. Healthcare is one of the biggest. Arizonans in recent months have seen first-hand the massive changes occurring throughout our industry. The trend of hospital consolidation continues apace, and not always to the benefit of patients … [More]
Workplace Discrimination Dialogue Needs a Full Table
As is evident from any look at recent headlines, there is undoubtedly an immense amount of work to be done to eradicate bias and discrimination in America. Since this country starts and stops on economics, change in the workplace is fundamental if a national paradigm shift is to be achieved. One report by the Center for American Progress cites the fiscal damage of workplace … [More]
Congress Gives EPA More Authority to Regulate Chemicals
In June, President Obama signed into law the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, landmark legislation modernizing the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the little-known but very important federal law that regulates chemicals in the United States. Approved by large bipartisan majorities in Congress, the Lautenberg Act addresses some of … [More]
Nonprofits and Elections Are Intertwined
In the middle of this noisy election season, I ask the question: What is the connection between elections and nonprofits? The answer, in short: They are intertwined. This may surprise many of you, so let me explain. First, I will explain what I don’t mean. You may have heard a lot about “dark money.” This is spending to influence elections that is not channeled directly … [More]
Employee Disengagement Underlies Saga of Sabotage
The recent arrest of a Mossack Fonesca employee in Geneva has called into question the motivations behind insider threats. Over the past four months, MF, a Panama-based law firm, has experienced two major breaches in data security. The first of these, dubbed the “Panama Papers scandal,” has broken records as the largest leak in history. In April of this year, 2.6 terabytes … [More]
PCHF Engages Business against Childhood Cancer
Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation is gearing up for a September fundraising program it designed with the business community in mind. First and foremost, of course, is the goal of $1 million to support the hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders — a critical pediatric focus, considering that every three-and-a-half minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer yet only 4 … [More]
Yes, Responsible Companies Perform Better
Study after study shows that companies known for sticking to their values perform better on financial metrics. While this may be a surprise to some, it actually makes total sense that socially responsible investments do better. Several factors increase the likelihood that conscious companies perform well: Clean-hands companies don’t have to pay expensive lawsuit … [More]
Navigating Commercial Leasing to Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Growing and selling marijuana may be the most controversial business in America, but, due to changing public opinion and the current political climate, it shows no signs of slowing down. Unless the Federal government decriminalizes the manufacture, sale and use of marijuana, it remains a very risky business, not just for the business owners but also for the landlords who lease … [More]
Rising Concern over Ransomware
There is a growing volume of ransomware victims despite increased efforts to prevent it, according to a recent survey by KnowBe4, a popular security awareness training and integrated phishing platform. The study, which surveyed 1,138 companies across a variety of industries, compares levels of concern over ransomware from 2014 to 2016. There was a huge jump in companies hit … [More]
Smoke-Free Gaining in Multifamily
A ban on smoking is an emerging trend in multifamily residential properties, gaining traction especially over the past two years, according to Bryan Fasulo, regional property manager for national multifamily management company Pinnacle, which manages Residences at Fountainhead, a development at Tempe Town Lake, and Proxy 333 in Downtown Phoenix. Support programs in Arizona are … [More]
Faces Matter
When a person is deciding whether or not to do business with your company, you might expect them to check all the key selling points. Price, benefits and features, brand reputation — these are all things that marketers anticipate customers will care about and, therefore, are the brand identifiers that receive the most attention when it comes to sales and marketing. However, … [More]
Zika Virus and the Workplace: A Primer for Arizona Businesses
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika virus an international “public health emergency.” And while Arizonans have found themselves immune from many of the previously issued health alerts, Zika is striking closer to home. Currently, Zika is primarily concentrated in tropical and sub-tropical climates, and the concern is elevated in Arizona, especially among … [More]
Too Many Politicians Getting It Wrong on Trade
The idea of Global Chamber® started eight years ago when Barry Goldwater, Jr. stood up in a crowded public meeting in Phoenix and declared “foreigners need to be kept out of Arizona because they take our jobs.” It was a wrong idea then, and it’s wrong now. We want foreign investment, because while foreign companies employ 5 percent of the U.S. workforce, they account for 8 … [More]
Companies Can Create Equality for Women
Time and time again women hear how far they have come and how the glass ceiling has been shattered. But, while women have made excellent progress, there is much left to do to achieve equality. Maintaining the status quo hurts women today and into the future. Treating women employees with a lack of respect or value hurts the company in the long term. Corporations want employees … [More]
The Hard-of-Hearing Workforce
Accommodating hard-of-hearing or deaf employees need not be the intimidating effort many employers anticipate, points out Sue Kay Kneifel, statewide coordinator of the Arizona Department of Security’s Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services, which has made educating employers on this workforce issue its focus this year. In Arizona, 1.145 million people age 20 and older are … [More]
3-D Printing Is Rocking Manufacturing
Most products are made of many parts. They result from many manufacturing steps performed by different machines, each with its own operator. 3-D printing replaces these steps with fundamentally different machines that make finished products, with all their parts, fully assembled. Revolutionizing Product Design Products have always been slaves to how they can be made. If a … [More]
Digital Forces a Change in World of Work
Responding to disruptive changes in digital technology, business models and workforce demographics, 92 percent of business and HR leaders have identified the critical need to redesign their organization to meet global business demands. This is according to Deloitte’s fourth annual report, “Global Human Capital Trends 2016: The new organization, Different by design.” Yet only 14 … [More]
The Employer Shared Responsibility of the Affordable Care Act
After considerable fits and starts, the employer responsibility provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) are now in full play. While implementing regulations and related notices can be complex, business owners should understand the basics in order to avoid penalties, identify the best-suited healthcare solutions for their workforce and remain … [More]
