Business
Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.
California law strengthens protections for mega-retailer warehouse workers
Last week, California became the first state to take action on unethical productivity practices in mega-retailer warehouses. The newly-passed law, AB 701, bars large retailers like Amazon from firing warehouse workers for missing quotas. The new law aims to ensure that productivity goals do not Read More...
Popular New York clothing store now offers a secondhand shopping area
Shoppers who visit the Madewell store in Brooklyn will find a surprise if they head up to the location’s second floor. Madewell has collaborated with popular online used clothing retailer thredUP to create the “Circular Store”—an assortment of pre-owned Madewell products as well as repaired Read More...
OSHA moves to increase extreme heat protection for workers
A recent investigation by NPR and Columbia Journalism Investigations found that climate change is contributing to a dramatic rise in preventable worker deaths from high temperatures, an issue that disproportionately affects workers of color. To address this, the current administration issued a Read More...
Major US companies commit to hiring and training Afghan refugees
As the first group of 37,000 Afghan refugees begins arriving in US states, a group of more than 30 US companies have agreed to make the transition smoother with the commitment to hire and train these refugees. According to Tent Partnership for Refugees, the organization spearheading the Read More...
This company offers accessible pharmacy services for the vision impaired
During the pandemic, many of us relied on drive-through services to pick up essential medications or get a Covid test, but for blind or vision-impaired individuals, these convenient and safe options were simply not a possibility. Even before the pandemic, accessing and reading prescriptions was Read More...
4 Key strategies to employ in the upcoming UN climate summits
Two important climate summits are coming up as we near the end of 2021. The first, on September 24, will be the first in 40 years to focus specifically on energy. The second, the COP26, will run the first two weeks of November and aims to mobilize countries to step up their climate commitments as Read More...
New Illinois bill leads the nation in climate equality
Illinois has thrown a stake in the ground on climate change and equality and established a path towards a 100 percent clean energy future by 2050 with a new law. The bill, SB2408, received bipartisan support in both the Illinois House and Senate and takes on mitigating climate change, creating Read More...
Thailand’s idle taxis find an unusual new purpose during the pandemic
We’ve written a lot about the power of rooftop gardens to boost access to fresh produce in urban areas. Today we’re sharing a story about rooftop gardens, but not the type you might expect. Taxi fleets in Thailand have repurposed the tops of vehicles idled by the pandemic into mini urban garden Read More...
Find joy in your workday again with these four strategies
Most of us have experienced at least one bout of burnout while working through a global pandemic, and when you look into the research surrounding stress and isolation, it’s no surprise that we’re not feeling as fulfilled at work these days. Research has shown that social isolation can Read More...
New York is removing policing from city schools
In the wake of racial justice protests last summer, many schools are rethinking the relationship between educational spaces and policing. Following the removal of armed police officers from 33 school districts around the country, New York City’s school system will follow suit and begin to remove Read More...