To move more cargo on less fuel, ocean freight carriers are building ships with much larger capacities
Read More Investments let Hostess brands rise again
Twinkies and other snack favorites are emerging from ovens once again in a brand rebirth in bakeries across the country
Read More Campus activists unite in call for divestments
They turn up the pressure on some colleges to stop investing in industries that run counter to their beliefs
Read More Marijuana industry tries to build brands
There’s a scramble to brand and trademark pot products
Read More Inside The Pages Of Fast Company: A Year In Photos
A look back at the creative people, the innovative companies, and the trends that set the tone for 2015.
Taking a look at Fast Company’s best photos and illustrations of 2015 is a visually compelling way to understand a year of innovation and progress (you can also see some of our favorite images of the year from our website).
These Epic Holiday Bonuses Will Inspire You To Do Better By Your Employees
Handing someone a $100 dollar check mid-December just does not cut it, folks. And in the end, it’s good for the company, too.
Annual, predetermined, lump-sum holiday bonuses are not an effective means of rewarding employees for a job well done. And employers have begun to realize that the annual gift of cash does little to improve employee satisfaction, recruiting, and retention, especially when the gift is expected.
According to a recent study by Bankrate.com, only 17% of those who are expecting a holiday bonus this year intend to enjoy the extra cash in the form of a gift. Instead, 76% intend to use their bonus to pay off bills, their debt load, or add it to their savings. What’s more, only a quarter of Americans are even expecting a pay raise or bonus this holiday season.
With the traditional lump-sum holiday bonus in decline, some organizations have found more creative and generous ways to show their appreciation during the holiday season. Here are five examples of how companies are raising the bar on holiday gift giving.
This ’90s Alt Rocker Wants Spotify To Fork Over Millions
Cracker frontman David Lowery is suing Spotify for $150 million over unpaid royalties. Does he have a point?
David Lowery is upset again. The former frontman for ’90s alt-rock band Cracker is once again taking aim at the new digital music economy. This time, his target is Spotify and the way it handles royalty payments for artists.
NASA Gets $55 Million To Build A Habitat For Living On Mars
Congress also set aside more money for the space agency than the Obama Administration had asked for: almost $19.3 billion for next year.
Congress has asked NASA to figure out how astronauts might set up camp on the Red Planet (assuming they survive the six-month journey).
Who’s Violating Your Medical Privacy? This Search Engine Shows You
CVS, Walgreens, Kaiser, and Department of Veterans Affairs among biggest leakers, reports ProPublica. Now you can look up the details.
The U.S. has strict rules against the unauthorized sharing of medical records, codified in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. But a new report by the investigative journalists at ProPublica uncovered plenty of privacy breaches, suggesting that the government has been shoddy at enforcing the law and in tracking repeat offenders. CVS, for example, violated HIPAA 204 times between 2011 and 2014; the government’s own Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) led the march of shame, with 220 major violations.
O’Connor: You say you want a resolution? Then do this!
The entire way we go about making resolutions dooms us to failure
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