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What I’ve Been Reading This Week


To call this a bit of a smorgasbord of topics to close out 2022 is an understatement.  This week, we have articles ranging from a possible unionization at Trader Joe’s, to a closer look at the rise in employee whistleblowing, Krispy Kreme automation, and even the gender gap in paid parental leave.  So whether you are driving through the Rust Belt, picking something up at a gas station, or even staring at a dog in the back seat, there is something for everyone to help pass the time on an eighteen hour (more or less) road trip.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


Workers At Louisville Trader Joe’s Move to Unionize

Last Thursday, it was confirmed that workers at a Trader Joe’s in Louisville had taken one step closer to forming the third unionize store in the country.  Readers might recall that there have been two successful unionizations at Trader Joe’s, with one store in Minneapolis and another in Hadley, Massachusetts, voting to unionize earlier this year.  While no vote date has yet been set at the Louisville location, it is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.  This is certainly a development to keep an eye on headed into 2023.


The Impact Work From Home Has Had on Employee Whistleblowing

Britta Lokting at Insider wrote an article last week in which she noted the increase in employee whistleblowing following the trend of allowing employees to work from home.  As the article notes, with there being a newly defined “space” between employees working remotely and their employers, this had led to many employees reevaluating their loyalty to their jobs and employers.  In turn, this has led employees to be more willing to whistleblow when they see unlawful or questionable actions by their employer.  Without the peer pressure or groupthink that often develops with employees working in a close or confined workspace, perhaps remote work was the catalyst that many employees needed to finally speak out on what they have seen?


Krispy Kreme Moves Forward With Automated Doughnut Production

Kristin Broughton at The Wall Street Journal recently noted that Krispy Kreme is taking steps to automate a part of its doughnut production with plans to automate approximately 18% of its total doughnut production in the next 18 months.  As the article notes, Krispy Kreme is taking steps to pare down debt and costs as it seeks to maximize profitability after recently to being a public company.  Will other companies follow Krispy Kreme’s lead and find ways to automate their workforce/production?  Perhaps.  I think a strong indicator will be how successful (and profitable) Krispy Kreme’s automation turns out to be in the coming months.


Gender Gap: Paid Parental Leave

A recent study found that for the past half century, there has not been equal progress in paid parental leave for men and women.  Notably, this study looked at paid parental leave worldwide and discovered that the amount of paid parental leave that men have received is nearly unchanged since 1970 while paid parental leave for women has nearly tripled since 1970.  I refer readers to this study (and the graph included) more for an eye opening look at how big the gap is (and remains) over nearly half a century than for any other reason.  Use this as a way to be more well informed of the gap in paid parental leave that exists worldwide.

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