Employers

In all of the clamor about deficit reduction and fiscal cliffs, the assumption is that the U.S. economy is basically fine. The "jobs slump" is just that - a slump - so with proper government intervention (or lack thereof), the happy days of full employment will return. After all, the "recession" is just temporary, isn't it? There is a more devastating prospect: that the lost jobs are gone forever, leaving tens of millions of Americans, concentrated at opposite ends of the age scale, who may never work "permanently" again.

The latest report from the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute makes a compelling case for raising the minimum wage, nationally and in Maryland. Legislation introduced last week in Annapolis would raise the minimum from $7.25 an hour to $10 in two years and keep it indexed to inflation - a move that EPI says will not only put $778 million more in the pockets of Maryland workers but create 4,280 new jobs from increased economic activity generated by the higher pay. We know that the reaction to many in the business community will be, as it has always been, unyielding opposition.

Behind the counter at a convenience store in Princess Anne, Elvira Orellana worked 72 hours a week, making sandwiches, cleaning the kitchen and ordering the ingredients to prepare oxtail, curry chicken and cheese steaks. Her employer paid her $648 a week — $324 less than she was owed under laws that require that workers earn time and a half for clocking more than 40 hours a week. When she complained, Orellana said, her boss threatened to cut her wages and then fired her. Orellana's case, which she won in federal court, illustrates a problem that historically has been more pronounced in the wake of recessions.

Maryland gained about 22,000 jobs in 2012, the smallest annual increase since the recession, underscoring the challenges facing the state in a year dominated by the federal budget and the collapse of a major employer. U.S. Department of Labor estimates released Friday show a volatile year in which the state move back and forth between job expansion and loss, ending with a gain in December. The preliminary figures suggest that the major culprit was government, which shed 8,500 jobs — the first time in nearly a decade that the usually reliable sector turned in an annual loss.

While most children see dream jobs, spouses and freedom in their futures, Brian Bailey saw only death. The autistic boy, who stopped speaking at 18 months, grew up with anxiety about getting older, and his rocky educational track record early on didn't allay his fears. "I was obsessing from the beginning about his future, asking 'What am I going to do?' " said his mother, Jennell Bailey, as she recalled his one week in a Baltimore public school general-education classroom, where she said he wasn't flourishing.

Wounded soldiers returning from war can find plenty of programs through nonprofits and the government that offer to help them re-enter the workforce. The problem, according to a new report, is that there are so many employment programs, often duplicating each other's efforts, that job seekers can easily be overwhelmed. On top of that, so little research has been done on these programs, it's unclear which are most effective. "There are tons of programs available ," said clinical psychologist Karen Chan Osilla, lead author of the Rand Corp.

The Baltimore school system failed to follow its policies when hiring a temporary employee who allegedly misrepresented himself as a child therapist and is now charged with raping a teen. City school officials said Shawn Nowlin, a 27-year-old arrested Nov. 26 on charges that he impregnated a 15-year-old in Harford County, was hired in September 2011 to oversee "partnership coordination" and act as a community liaison at Hazelwood Elementary/Middle School under the title "Temporary Professional II. " Nowlin was employed for a year under that title, but the rules say temporary workers' employment cannot exceed 90 days.

This year's Black Friday became the backdrop not only for doorbuster HDTV sales but for protests from retail workers across the country. Workers at Walmart, Target, even Macy's, have decried  unfair wages and conditions. So which retailers are the best employers? Job search engine Indeed.com has come out with a list of the top 15 companies to work for in retail. Indeed based the rankings on reviews posted by current and former employees on Indeed's company pages. Here they are: 1. Apple 2. Disney Store 3. Coach 4. Costco 5. IKEA 6. Dressbarn 7. Halloween City 8. Champs Sports 9. REI 10. Nike 11. Vitamin World 12. Nordstrom 13. Sherwin Williams 14. Finish Line 15. Bath & Body Works  

Having shown national leadership on marriage equality and fair treatment of immigrant children, Maryland has the opportunity to turn its attention to the plight of workers who have no access to paid sick days. The ability to earn paid sick days allows workers to avoid the choice of going to work sick or going without pay - and maybe even losing a job. Employers, workers, and the public would all benefit from such a standard. The many employers that already provide paid sick leave would have a level playing field with their competitors, and all would more easily maintain a healthy workplace.

Asked what makes a great place to work, employees focus a lot less on pay and benefits than you might think. Workers want fair compensation without a doubt, but they also want to feel that their work and their company's mission matter, workplace research shows. Workplaces that supply those emotional perks tend to be "organizationally healthy," the workplace version of a healthy, high functioning person, workplace experts say. When employers instill a sense of purpose, set a clear direction and keep workers in the loop, they not only win accolades from employees, but they succeed long-term - and are more profitable, experts say. "To perform well, a company needs to be smart, and it needs to be healthy," said Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics, a consulting firm for employers based in Philadelphia.