Pippa Stevens from CNBC.com brings you the top business news headlines of the day. Annie Palmer, CNBC.com's correspondent on today's program, reports on a California law that protects warehouse workers' restroom breaks and limits unsafe quotas at retailers like Amazon. Also, accuracy and speed at drive-thru have declined over the past year.
California governor signs legislation protecting warehouse workers
On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to limit warehouse employers like Amazon.com's ability to set productivity quotas. This is the first such legislation in the United States. According to the governor's office, these new provisions require warehouse workers to report their productivity quotas to employees. They also prohibit employees from using rest and bathroom breaks and ban algorithms that could prevent them from doing so, which would pose a risk to their safety and health. This month, the California State Senate approved the bill 26-11. Newsom signed the bill into law by a statement saying that corporations cannot put profit above people. The legislation guarantees that workers will not be fired or retaliated against if they fail to meet an unsafe quota.
Targets holiday hiring plans: More hours, more pay, and more flexibility: What does Targets say about the labor market in retailers?
Target announced Thursday that it will be changing its staffing strategy for the holiday season to accommodate the rush of shoppers. It will reduce seasonal hiring and increase hours for existing employees. Target said that it expected to hire approximately 300,000 more people for the holiday season. It said that this translates to more than $75 million in additional pay. Target said it still intends to hire 100,000 seasonal workers, but this is less than the 130,000 it hired in each of its past two holiday seasons. Target, a big-box retailer with more than 1,900 stores, and 350,000 employees, has launched an app this summer to make it easier for workers to pick up occasional shifts. The app allows staff to swap hours or choose times on their own, making it easier for them to adjust for other obligations such as parenting or going to college classes.
It's not your imagination. Restaurant drive-thrus can be slower and less precise than you imagine.
