HR News: In-N-Out Burger Bans Masks, NBCU Allegedly Hinders Strike, Bosses Oppose RTO, Penguin Random House Layoffs, and More

This is a weekly roundup of the latest in HR News.

This week in HR news is a bit more shocking than usual. In-N-Out Burger decided to ban employees in five states from wearing masks unless they could get a medical clearance. The writers and actors on strike accuse NBCU of butchering trees outside the office to remove shade and interfere with protests happening on that sidewalk. Apparently, the most opposed to full-time return-to-office mandates are highly paid executives. And Penguin Random House conducts high-profile buyouts and layoffs. A Forbes writer warns about the dangers of forgetting those frontline, deskless workers, who HR once lauded for being essential workers in the pandemic. And Brazil changed work hours to accommodate viewing times for the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Whew! It's a lot! 

Discover the details in the HR News Roundup: 

In-N-Out Burger Bans Masks for Employees

In-N-Out Burger, a popular fast food chain headquartered in California, banned masks for employees in five states. The decision was based on the company's desire to have employees have visible smiles and facial expressions to improve customer service, according to the company's new policy as reported by NPR. 

Employees in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah, who still want to wear a mask, must have a valid medical note. Employees in Oregon and California, blue states where mask-wearing was a must at the height of the pandemic, may still be required to wear a mask or they can opt into doing so. However, they must use a company-provided N-95 mask. Many on social media criticized the company for not allowing employees to make their own decisions about their bodies and their health. 

NBCU Facing Accusations of Hindering Protestors

The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA unions have shut down Hollywood as they strike for better pay, regulations regarding artificial intelligence, and improved residual pay. Many are taking to the streets to protest. One place for those on strike to demonstrate is on a block in Unviersity City. 

However, the other day, protesters got interrupted by trees being trimmed on the block where they march. With temperatures above 90 degrees F, protestors took to social media to accuse NBCUniversal (NBCU) of butchering the trees on purpose to distract from the strike and remove shade, so protestors would not want to be there. 

NBCU said the trimming of the trees was part of its annual landscaping and made the comment, "the safety tree trimming of the Ficus trees we did on Barham Blvd. has created unintended challenges for demonstrators," according to the L.A. Times. 

However, in that same article, L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia reportedly said he was looking into the matter because the Department of Public Works has not issued tree-trimming permits over the last three years to the company. 

Some Bosses Oppose RTO Mandates

HR professionals are regularly shouting about the never-ending debate regarding remote, hybrid, and in-person work. Up until now, the consensus has been that leadership wants everyone in the office and workers - the people - want flexibility. But the Wall Street Journal shared some insightful and interesting reporting this week: 

"New research from McKinsey shows that an influential group of senior employees strongly prefers the option of working from home at least part of the time. They are top performers and competitors will poach them with the promise of remote work. These executives may be small in number, but can have outsize stature inside organizations."

McKinsey surveyed 13,000 office workers in six countries and found that 33% of those who said they strongly prefer to work from home earned more than $150,000 per year. In addition, 44% of those who preferred remote work held senior-level jobs. Go figure!  

Layoffs and Buyouts at Penguin Random House

It's no secret that publishing is an industry on life support. Penguin Random House, however, is the U.S.' largest publishing house, so the announcement of layoffs and buyouts was particularly jarring. 

Enduring editors of such prominent writers as Anne Rice, Lorrie Moore, and Nobel laureates Alice Munro and Elie Wiesel are among those stepping down by the end of the year as part of the company's voluntary separation program, according to ABC News. Some of the editors leaving include Vicky Wilson, Jonathan Segal, and Ann Close. This news comes at a time of great turmoil for the publishing house. Shortly after a federal judge blocked a deal to buy rival Simon and Schuster, Global company CEO Markus Dohle and U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh left. Many questions remain about the future. 

Warning: Never Forget the Essential Workers

Mindi Cox, Forbes Human Resources Council Member and Chief People Officer at O.C. Tanner, writes in a column that many deskless workers feel forgotten and ignored by their employers. Cox warns that this is a big problem:  

"In the earliest days of the pandemic, these essential workers were applauded for keeping society functioning. But as the public conversation turned to the virtues of remote work, greater flexibility and other trends that were most relevant to those who spend their days at a computer, the deskless workers’ experience has been all but forgotten. And they’re dangerously fed up."

The writer then shares ways for HR and leaders at these organizations to show more support and turn things around. It's employee engagement 101, really, but it's worth a read for those managing talent in these frontline roles. 

Brazil Changes Work Hours for Women's World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup kicked off this week in Australia and New Zealand, and Brazil made a statement by changing work hours, so people could cheer on their team and view games in a distant time zone. "With Brazil's group stage matches in Australia being broadcast in the early hours of the morning back home, minister of management Esther Dweck has told civil servants they can report for duty up to two hours after the final whistle," according to Reuters.

Unlike the men's team, which has won more World Cups than any other nation with five titles, the Brazilian women have never won one, but they did get to the final against Germany in 2007. Maybe this will be their year - and the fans now have no excuse for not supporting them in their quest!

Empowering the HR community

Join HR Exchange Network today and interact with a vibrant network of professionals, keeping up to date with the industry by accessing our wealth of articles, videos, live conferences and more.

Join Now

Photo by Kampus Production for Pexels