WORKPLACE

Columnist Tammy Swift offers to aid the new 73-year-old king by offering "first day of work" advice, such as suggestions to institute casual Friday at Buckingham Palace.

The North Dakota Legislature's Workers' Compensation Review Committee voted to disband and also wants to end required performance evaluations of Workforce Safety and Insurance, the state's workers' compensation agency. The full Legislature will need to decide whether or not to approve the proposed changes.

North Dakota's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate of 2.3% was the sixth-lowest in the United States for the month of July. Across the Red River, Minnesota had the nation's lowest mark at 1.8%.

Last week, for the first time in 1,152 days, Forum columnist and reporter Tammy Swift drove to an office and went to work. And she found that as much things have changed, they have completely stayed the same.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued 11 safety violations to KLX Wireline and proposed penalties exceeding $450,000.

Though the unemployment rate climbed slightly, year-over-year data signaled a continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Please arrange for more persons from Ukraine to come to North Dakota. Please develop options including a fast-track path for those fleeing the Russian invasion, family connections, and a special admission process into the US based on humanitarian grounds. North Dakota is ready to help these people in this time of great tragedy," Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, said in a letter to Gov. Doug Burgum and President Joe Biden.

For individuals forgoing vaccination, the risks can include layoffs and ineligibility to collect unemployment, higher insurance premiums, or loss of academic scholarships. For employers, vaccine hesitancy can contribute to short-staffed workplaces.

There are nearly 20,000 jobs in North Dakota that need filling and considerably fewer people to fill them, according to Job Service North Dakota. The North Dakota State College of Science's registered apprenticeship program is seeking the address the gap.