Tausi Insider

Twitter Inc has been hit with another lawsuit stemming from the recent purging of half its workforce, this one accusing the social media company of disproportionately targeting female employees for layoffs. The proposed class action filed late on Wednesday in San Francisco federal court said that after Twitter was taken over by Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, it laid off 57 per cent of its female workers compared to 47 per cent of men. Twitter laid off roughly 3,700 employees in early November in a cost-cutting measure by Musk, and hundreds more subsequently resigned. The gender disparity was more stark for engineering roles, where 63 per cent of women lost their jobs compared to 48 per cent of men, according to the new lawsuit. The lawsuit filed by two women who were laid off by Twitter last month accuses the company of violating federal and California laws banning workplace sex discrimination. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shannon Liss-Riordan...

An oilsands mine facility seen from the air near Fort McMurray, on Sept. 19, 2011. Many communities across Canada, including Fort McMurray, are dealing with labour shortages that experts say are likely to get worse in the next few years due to this country's aging population. Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press When Dan Gallagher looks around his company, he sees a lot of retirement parties in his future. While it’s not something he formally tracks, the CEO of Mikisew Group – a Fort McMurray, Alta.-based company that specializes in oilsands site services, maintenance, logistics and construction – knows he’s got more employees approaching the end of their careers than just starting out. “I take a walk around our shop, and around our field services workforce, and I can clearly see that demographic. It’s aging,” Gallagher said. The implications of that make him nervous. Mikisew Group is already struggling with a shortage of labour, even recruiting as far away as Australia just to keep ...

Hudson’s Bay is laying off two per cent of its total workforce, estimated to be about 250 employees, largely within Canada. The layoffs will impact corporate roles at The Bay and Hudson’s Bay, the retailer’s online and brick-and-mortar operations, respectively, the company said Tuesday. Retail workers in stores are not affected by the job losses. Spokeswoman Tiffany Bourre said the changes come as the retail sector navigates “significant external pressures.” The company is “realigning its strategic priorities and increasing efficiencies within its operations,” she said in a statement. The decision was not easy and the company is committed to treating everyone with fairness and respect, Bourre said. Hudson’s Bay permanently laid off about 600 workers in Canada two years ago amid extended COVID-19 lockdowns affecting non-essential retail. Last June, more than 330 Hudson’s Bay warehouse workers went on strike after talks with the company broke down. https://www.tausiinsider.com/hud...

Shoppers visit a Best Buy on Black Friday, in Toronto, on Nov. 26, 2021. Tijana Martin/The Canadian Press Best Buy, BBY-N one of the country’s largest consumer electronics retailers, is laying off about 0.7 per cent of its workforce, estimated to be about 700 employees. Anna LeGresley, a spokeswoman for Best Buy Canada, says the job losses come as the chain works to “support our stores and serve our customers.” LeGresley says some staff have also moved to different stores. It’s unclear whether the restructuring includes any store closures. Best Buy did not share whether the job losses are in both Canada and the U.S., or whether the layoffs include corporate office employees in addition to retail workers. While stores often shed temporary staff after the busy holiday season, the layoffs appear to be more than usual. At the end of fiscal 2022, Best Buy employed approximately 105,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada, according to the company’s annual report. It said its workforce is abo...