Labor & Employment

The chairman and CEO of Sears Holdings said the use of the word bankruptcy with regards to his company is holding it back.    “Every time people use the word bankruptcy, somebody who reads that doesn't get past that word, Edward Lampert told The Chicago Tribune in a rare interview. “It makes it very unfair for us, and it’s a very uneven playing field for us.”      

Retailers looking for dramatic energy savings at the lowest cost should think radical – and that means using an integrated design process right from the start.

“Radically efficient buildings are, among other things, 75% more energy efficient than typical construction” said Paul Westbrook, president of RE:source consulting, at the SPECS session, “An Improved Road to Energy Savings.”

One of the country’s foremost authorities on the Americans with Disabilities Act delivered an in-depth look at the law and how it is evolving at this year’s SPECS conference.

“The enforcement of the ADA has changed over the past 25 years and new areas that have risen to the top include point of sale, ATMs and websites,” said Joan W. Stein, president of Stein Consulting, at the “ADA Super Session.”

As Congress reconvened after Easter, retail operators had a tremendous amount at stake. The industry is in an unprecedented state of strife with major legacy brands announcing large-scale closures.

If that’s not enough, here is another one to consider: Roughly 80,000 retail workers lost their jobs in the past year, a total that is greater than the number of workers in the entire coal industry. Clearly the disruptive impact of the online economy is quickly and permanently taking its toll on traditional retail operators.

The best thing to do about asbestos? Leave it alone — if the structure is safe.

That was one of the takeaways from the SPECS session, “Hazardous Building Materials Among Us.”

Asbestos was a mainstay in both commercial and residential buildings for decades because, simply put, it was a cheap and readily available lifesaver, explained speaker Michael Ebel, VP and principal scientist at Amec Foster Wheeler.

“It was known as the ‘Miracle Mineral,’ heat-resistant, chemical-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and a poor electrical conductor,” Ebel said.

There’s been a reorganization at Whole Foods Market.   On Wednesday, the natural-foods retailer named a new chairwoman and five new independent directors, effective immediately. It also appointed a former Kohl’s executive as CFO.   The changes come as activist investors and restless shareholders have been demanding Whole Foods accelerate the turnaround its business. The board shakeup came on the same day as the retailer released second quarter earnings that met analysts’ expectations. 

As retailers continue to navigate challenging conditions, they need to ensure their people strategies and pay programs are flexible and supportive, not ridged and dated. What follows are different approaches to working through some of the difficult, but necessary, steps to improving retail pay programs to fit the basic actions some retailers must now take.    Being Proactive Not Reactive

There’s been a shakeup at Bon-Ton Stores.   The department store retailer announced that Kathryn Bufano, president and CEO, will leave the company when her contract expires on August 25. She will be succeeded by William Tracy, currently the retailer’s COO. He will be Bon-Ton’s fourth chief executive since 2012.   

Nine West Holdings is taking action to deal with its debt.