700 Target Canada employees to lose jobs in Winnipeg and Brandon Area of Manitoba

CBC - Almost 700 employees between the Winnipeg and Brandon Target locations will lose their jobs after the American retailer announced Thursday it would be pulling out of the Canadian market.

Target’s exodus from Canada marks one of the largest mass layoffs in Manitoba’s recent history.

A Thompson nickel smelter and refinery slashed 500 jobs in 2010. Convergys Corp., a Cincinnati-based call centre that used to have an operation in Winnipeg, laid off 500 employees in 2009 in Winnipeg.

Philippe Cyrrenne, professor of economics at the University of Winnipeg, said mass layoffs like these are rare.

"Target came in big and they left big," said Cyrrenne.

He said the impact of the layoffs on Manitoba’s economy won’t be felt immediately, because Target employees receive a 16-week severance package.

The real short-term challenge will fall on the shoulders of the hundreds of employees who will be competing for fewer, similar retail jobs.

"It will be difficult at the outset,” said Cyrrenne. “They all have similar skills so it could take a while. The best case scenario is for a larger retailer to come in."

Thumbsup! Sears offering job, discounts to workers affected by Target exit from Canada

The Canadian Press 
Sears Canada is reaching out to workers affected by the exit of American retailer Target from the Canadian market.

Target announced on Thursday that it will close 133 stores across the country by early June, with 17,600 employees losing their jobs.

Sears says it's extending a special offer to Target Canada employees and is encouraging those interested in job opportunities at Sears to visit its website.

Beginning early next week, Sears says the site will publish information on special events regarding career opportunities such as local job fairs across Canada.

In a statement on Friday, Sears says there will also be an open invitation to Target Canada head office employees for a meet-and-greet with Sears executives and human resources experts on Jan. 21 in Toronto.

The retailer also says it will offer affected Target Canada employees the Sears Canada employee discount for a period of 16 weeks, beginning on Jan. 21.

Two Hamilton, Ontario employees fired for bringing pot-laced brownies to work

Smaller-dose pot-infused brownies are divided and packaged at The Growing Kitchen, in Boulder, Colo., Sept. 26, 2014. (AP / Brennan Linsley

The Canadian Press 
Bringing pot-laced brownies to work has led to the firing of two public works employees in Hamilton.

The employees were suspended following the incident that occurred at a public works yard prior to the Christmas holidays and were fired at noon on Wednesday.

A public works spokeswoman said a third employee had required medical attention for an adverse reaction after "unknowingly" consuming a brownie that contained a substance later determined to be cannabis.

New REsearch: Africa Has The Richest Region For Young Workers And Consumers

Africa does not have the wealth that has piled up on the North American and European continents over many centuries.

But it does have something richer regions now lack: lots of young people.

While other continents have aging populations, Africa is giving birth to a new generation of consumers and workers. Sub-Saharan Africa is the youngest region in the world, with 43 percent of its population under age 15.

In Europe, only about 16 percent of the population is that young, and in the United States, the figure is about 20 percent, according to the Population Reference Bureau.

That's why the theme of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, which kicked off Monday in Washington, is "Investing in the Next Generation." At the three-day, White House-sponsored gathering, leaders from nearly 50 African nations will be meeting with U.S. business executives, as well as with President Obama and officials from the Commerce Department, U.S. Trade Representative's office and the State Department.

"We need technology, equipment and tools" to build the infrastructure for a rising generation, said Robert Sichinga, minister for commerce, trade and industry for Zambia

Sichinga was at the World Bank on Monday morning as African trade ministers began arriving to hear from U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Secretary of State John Kerry. Over a buffet of berries, melon and pastries, ministers talked up their continent as the place to do business in the 21st century.

Sichinga said Zambia wants to sell as much copper and gemstones as possible to U.S. customers. With the dollars they earn, Zambians will turn around and purchase U.S.-made goods — "everything we need for construction and high-tech," he said. "We need trade."

Kerry addressed the ministers, saying the summit will raise awareness of the business opportunities on a continent brimming with 200 million people between the ages of 15 and 24. He noted that many of those future workers already have mobile phones, making it easier for them to move into the global economy.

"Everybody is connected to everybody every moment of the day, and that is changing the way people think. It's changing their sense of possibilities," he said.

Even as Kerry was addressing the group, General Electric was announcing its plans to invest another $2 billion in Africa by 2018.

"Africa is one of the most important growth areas, purely from an economic standpoint," Chief Executive Officer Jeff Immelt said at a media event announcing GE's investment in the continent.
Immelt said that in 2000, his company's sales in Africa were "almost zero." That has changed dramatically, and just last year, GE's revenue from Africa hit $5.2 billion. In Africa, GE is involved in supplying a wide range of products, including locomotives, aircraft engines and gas turbines for power plants.

On Tuesday, the Commerce Department will hold a daylong event where CEOs, including Immelt, will speak directly to African leaders. Many other major U.S. corporations, such as Caterpillar, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola and IBM, are sending their CEOs.

Their presence underscores the shift in how Africa is perceived by U.S. businesses. Traditionally, Africa was a place for extracting natural resources, from oil to gold. But the focus now is on developing a full range of sectors, including manufacturing, retail, hospitality and financial services.
Last year, the Obama administration pushed the Power Africa Initiative to get more electricity to more people in Africa.

On Tuesday evening, President Obama and first lady Michele Obama will host a dinner at the White House for the visiting heads of state.

While the summit's focus is on business, it also involves meetings with members of the U.S. Congress, health officials, environmentalists, human-rights activists and others.

Unfortunately for event organizers, this week is turning out to be a tough time to keep the focus on positive news. In recent days, headlines about Africa have been focused on the outbreak of the Ebola virus in western regions of the continent, especially in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Ebola was not on the original agenda, but has become part of the conversation as global health officials struggle to develop plans to contain it. At a news conference Friday, Obama said some African guests will undergo extra screening to be sure they are not ill as they enter this country.
"We are taking the appropriate precautions," Obama said.

Choosing Between Microsoft, Google or Apple Office Suites

 

E-cigarettes are 'less harmful than ordinary cigarettes'

Around 1.3million Britons use battery-powered e-cigarettes. The devices work by converting liquid nicotine into a mist, allowing users to inhale the drug while avoiding the harm caused by tobacco smoke (File photo)

E-cigarettes are 'less harmful than ordinary cigarettes': Healthcare professionals may recommend smokers use them instead of cigarettes

• Long-term health effects are unknown for e-cigarettes
• Current evidence does not justify regulating them more strictly than conventional cigarettes
• Around 1.3million Britons use battery-powered e-cigarettes 
• The devices work by converting liquid nicotine into a mist 
• E-cigarettes thought healthier than normal smoking because they do not contain tobacco and carcinogens found in cigarettes

E-cigarettes cause less harm than smoking tobacco to users and bystanders, a major scientific review has concluded.

 Although the long-term health effects are unknown, current evidence does not justify regulating them more strictly than conventional cigarettes – or even as strictly.

How to Stand Out in Workplace

At work you want to be noticed for all the right reasons. The most effective way to do this is to show your employer every day that hiring you was a great decision!

To attract positive attention and succeed at work, try some of these practical strategies.

Be reliable and dependable.

		Show up for every shift you’re scheduled for. Call in or send an email or text message well ahead of time if you must be late or absent. Try to be absent as little as possible.
		Be on time, whether you’re arriving for work, returning from breaks, going to staff meetings or completing tasks.
		Be prepared. Come to work willing to pay attention, follow directions and do the job.
		Do what you say you'll do.
		Stay organized and keep your work area tidy. This shows your supervisor that you're in control of what you're doing.
		Do your best. Check the quality of your own work.

Be proactive.

		Take responsibility for what you do. This includes being accountable for any mistakes you make?
		Learn all you can about the organization and your role.
		Learn how to do all the tasks that are part of your role.
		Take initiative. What could you contribute without being asked? Just make sure you're not stepping on someone else's toes.
		Learn a skill that will help you stand out. For example, become the person everyone goes to when they need something proofread or when they need help with a computer program.

Be a team player.

		Take on the task that needs to be done. Team players work effectively with others to achieve common goals, whether or not the task is part of their job description.
		Jump at the chance to help a co-worker on a project. You’ll learn something new and gain a reputation as a helpful employee, too.
		Share information and resources.
		Support and encourage your co-workers.
		Respect your co-workers’ diversity of opinions and experiences.

Starting a Family make Men Promoted than Women counterparts

Having children make men 'redouble' their commitment to their job, according to the 30% Club

 

74% fathers have five or more promotions, compared to 65% childless men

Children make a man 'redouble' commitment to his job, report claims

Stereotypically, serves as distraction for mothers choosing to 'have it all'

Many women fear having a family will slow down their career. But it seems fathers needn’t worry - because the opposite is true for them. Men with children are more likely to be promoted in their jobs than any other types of workers, including women with no children and even men with no children, a report revealed yesterday. Continue....