Leveraging your private banker during the COVID-19 recession
[caption id="attachment_254394" align="alignright" width="117"] Mary-Kate Johnson[/caption] [caption id="attachment_254395" align="alignleft" width="125"] Brad Brockbank[/caption] As Idaho navigates economic turbulence from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever for high-net-worth individuals to have a skilled private banker in their corner. A private banker can also serve[...]
Addressing COVID-19 workplace safety liability practically
[caption id="attachment_254408" align="alignleft" width="125"] Daniel Walker[/caption] PORTLAND, OR -- As Oregon slowly, albeit uneasily, moves through reopening phases, employers and employees are becoming increasingly concerned about health and safety in the workplace. Since the pandemic took hold in March, Oregon OSHA has received 5,500 workplace complaints related to COVID-19 safety issues.[...]
The gender pay gap that no one is paying attention to
That women are paid less than male colleagues is a stubborn fact in the U.S. workplace. [caption id="attachment_254541" align="alignright" width="200"] Felice B. Klein[/caption] As of July, women earned 84 cents for every dollar a man earned. It is a discrepancy that has garnered significant attention from scholars, the media and sex discrimination lawsuits. But this figure only tel[...]
Idaho budget positioned to handle impacts of COVID-19
[caption id="attachment_110069" align="alignleft" width="205"] Brad Little[/caption] Idaho just ended its fiscal year with a surplus nearly three times what was expected before COVID-19. How, in the middle of a global pandemic, did we manage to do that? Through conservative principles of governing. In late March, shortly after the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Idaho, I asked [...]
How small firms can protect finances in reopening economies
[caption id="attachment_254404" align="alignleft" width="134"] Carson Lappetito[/caption] In the early stages of COVID-19, many small business owners were facing dire circumstances. A survey from Goldman Sachs reported 51% of small business owners could function for zero to three months during the quarantine. The survey underscored the pressures facing many small businesses that might have enou[...]
Idaho wineries use ‘out-of-the-bottle thinking’ in COVID-19 era
[caption id="attachment_253770" align="alignleft" width="140"] Moya Dolsby[/caption] In the not so distant past, COVID-19 could have been the name of a contemporary winery overlooking a sprawling vineyard, or the name on the label of some bold new release. Alas, today we know all too well the dread that name represents. The virus has worked its way into every corner of our daily existence, d[...]
Limiting the spread of COVID-19 in justice institutions
[caption id="attachment_253951" align="alignleft" width="300"] Reginald Harris and Jasmine Sharma[/caption] COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges to the criminal justice system. One such challenge is reducing the spread of COVID-19 within justice institutions. The nature of incarceration poses grave risks to individuals serving prison sentences or incarcerated while awaiting trial. T[...]
Strong cybersecurity strategy not a luxury for small business
[caption id="attachment_234984" align="alignleft" width="175"] Jim Risch[/caption] After several difficult months plagued by coronavirus, small business owners across the country are preparing for the day they can finally and permanently reopen their doors. The pandemic has seriously impacted the health of businesses everywhere, and for most employers, getting back to business cannot come so[...]
To attract, retain diverse workforce, start with self-reflection
[caption id="attachment_253931" align="alignleft" width="125"] Molly Washington[/caption] Diversity on the jobsite and within the various departments of a construction company has numerous benefits, but building and retaining a truly diverse workforce takes an unwavering commitment to equity within organization walls. That commitment requires organizations to invest in the needs of all of its p[...]
Harness social dynamics to build a safe, ethical workplace
My heart was beating out of my chest. My palms were sweaty. My mouth was dry. And, for the first time in my life, I was literally paralyzed by fear and unable to move. Dressed in Nomex coveralls and clad in oily work-boots, I was standing on the edge of a pipe rack at a Mobil Oil refinery in South Buffalo 35 feet above the ground contemplating a six-foot leap to a nearby scaffolding — with no ne[...]
Ideas for improving the lives of African-Americans on college campuses
[caption id="attachment_253728" align="alignleft" width="175"] Sydney Freeman Jr.[/caption] Over the last several weeks institutions of higher education have written statements of support in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. However, there has also been criticism lodged at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) for providing statements and establishing working groups/task forces[...]
Now more than ever, Idaho’s farmers need our support
[caption id="attachment_94744" align="alignleft" width="177"] Idaho Sen. Jim Risch[/caption] Farming is not famed for its predictability. Every season, farmers and ranchers brace for the unknown: unforeseeable weather, difficult growing conditions, volatile markets and a multitude of other challenges that can deliver a windfall harvest, or 12 hard months of barely scraping by. But even when acc[...]