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Workplace/Employee Benefits

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Will bankers embrace sensors under their desks when they return to work?

But not everyone can return at once: banks will have to extend practices like those used for small teams of traders during the pandemic. Shifting rotations of people will pass through giant buildings on different days, without clustering in the same areas on the same floors, to avoid spreading COVID-19. Some of the banks are implementing systems where employees will book “hot seats” on particular days and be monitored while they are sitting at them, sources said.

In some buildings, that could mean cameras that monitor a room’s occupancy level and even sensors that tell building management whether someone is sitting at a desk. “That feels a little personal,” one bank employee said about desk sensors.

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Good ventilation dilutes COVID-19 viral load, crucial in reducing transmission

“Measures to improve ventilation in these spaces must be taken up on urgent priority in urban and rural areas alike, recommendations for hutments, homes, offices and large centralised buildings are given. Simple strategic placement of fans, open windows and doors, even slightly open windows can introduce outdoor air and improve the air quality inside,” it stated.

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Long working hours raises death risk from heart disease, stroke

“Teleworking has become the norm in many industries, often blurring the boundaries between home and work. In addition, many businesses have been forced to scale back or shut down operations to save money, and people who are still on the payroll end up working longer hours. No job is worth the risk of stroke or heart disease. Governments, employers and workers need to work together to agree on limits to protect the health of workers,” Ghebreyesus added.

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NY to set workplace safety standards for Airborne Diseases

Employers in New York will have to come up with safety plans that comply with the yet-to-be written state standards and provide them to workers. Employers who don’t comply could face fines.

Workers could also sue for up to $20,000 from employers who don’t follow safety standards or retaliate against workers for reporting non-compliance.

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U.S. SEC chair planning new workforce data disclosures for public companies

He said staff would propose a new rule on disclosing the workforce or “human capital” metrics. Those disclosures could include data on issues such as workforce diversity, part-time versus full-time workers, and employee turnover, according to advocacy groups that have been pushing for the new rules.

“This is one of my top priorities and will be an early focus during my tenure at the SEC,” Gensler told the gathering.

The SEC is ramping up its ESG agenda to execute on Democrats’ priorities to address issues such as climate change and social injustice.

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Rail union demands compensation on a par with frontline workers in case of death on duty during Covid

In a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, general secretary of the All India Railwaymen’s Federation Shiva Gopal Mishra said around 1,500 railway staffers died during the pandemic while more than one lakh have been infected by the virus.

He said that more than 65,000 have recovered and joined their duties again, adding while a letter of appreciation from the minister lauding their dedication was encouraging, a parity in compensation would be of great help for the families.

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