Feds Seized 50TB Of Data And Arsenal Of Guns From Accused NSA Thief

10 guns, including an AR-style weapon, as well as 50TB in data seized during search of NSA contractor Harold T. Martin III. The former Booz Allen Hamilton contractor is expected to face espionage charges.

Don't be like Ryan Lochte - consider getting a credit card before you're 32

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Here's the Trick Amazon Uses to Brainstorm Amazing Ideas

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Trump Had A Point About His Own Taxes In The Debate

A highly leveraged real estate operator, who manages to keep upping the ante, might not have much in the way of realized income, while building substantial net worth from unrealized appreciation. The key element is not so much the depreciation deduction as it is the unrealized appreciation which will allow you to keep refinancing and buying more property. This road to wealth is pretty wide open, as you might learn from watching late night TV or maybe from attending Trump University. The thing is the no money down art of the deal type of courses downplay the amount of work involved. And the risk. A really smart guy I know once observed "Leverage makes whatever is going to happen, happen faster."

Zenefits Woos Human Resources With App Store Approach

Zenefits CEO David Sacks recently rolled out his company's new Z2 platform.

Zenefits wants to be the iPhone of human resources.

At its Z2 user conference in San Francisco, the HR and benefits technology startup announced Oct. 18 that it will launch a revamped user interface and offer the first online “app store” for HR services including recruiting, expenses and productivity.

While continuing to offer its core solutions in-house, the new Zenefits platform will allow users to download additional applications that can access employee information directly through Zenefits.

“We've made integration as simple as installing an app on your iPhone,” said CEO David Sacks.

The platform will initially include apps from 17 partners including Salesforce, Intuit and Google, but Zenefits anticipates more third-party companies using its developer platform to create hundreds of new offerings.

Other new features include a new online benefits shopping experience that allows employers to choose from over 10,000 preloaded plans and compare provider maps. Zenefits will also release a new payroll feature in California, with other states to follow.

Zenefits' Hard Times Mean Good Times for Rivals

Also new is the HR adviser app, a paid service that provides small businesses with a content library and access to expert advice to help guide decision-making.

Zenefits also will release an updated iOS mobile app and introduce its first Android one.

These improvements take place as the company nears the end of a turbulent year. After experiencing staggering growth in just three years - Zenefits has raised $584 million in funding - reports surfaced in February that the cloud-based health insurance and HR software provider failed to abide by licensing requirements for its brokers.

Zenefits to Employees: No Sex at Work

Zenefits recently settled with Washington state and Tennessee over these claims, paying $100,000 in fines to continue operating in those states. Since taking the top post from ousted founder Parker Conrad in February, Sacks has also laid off over 350 employees and changed the company's ownership structure.

Competitors are also closing in on the all-in-one HR market. Gusto, among others, provides similar cloud-based solutions and just reached 40,000 customers, twice as many as Zenefits.

Nidhi Madhavan is a Workforce intern. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com.

Tags: David Sacks, Gusto, Z2, Zenefits

The post Zenefits Woos Human Resources With App Store Approach appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

Yahoo Beats on Earnings But Critics Don't Seem to Care

Yahoo's brand is tarnished after user credentials were hacked and cooperation with U.S. intelligence revealed, and the company did little to address that in its latest earnings report.

The Taiwanese Startup That Can Sell You A Lifetime's Worth Of Stored Data

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The Wall Street Journal: HP Enterprise warns of financial hit from spinoffs

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. detailed some short-term pain it foresees when two previously announced spinoffs close in the coming fiscal year, but said its remaining businesses should grow slightly regardless.

The Cloud At Home, Network MANRS And Object Swarm

MANRS at network operators should improve Internet security, needed to improve on-line storage security. Also the number of companies offering cloud-like local storage tied to on-line storage has increased with the addition of Igneous and IBM. Software defined storage company Caringo introduces is improved Swarm 9 product.

How the power of many impacts innovation

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Deep Dive: Six solid dividend stocks unfairly punished by investors

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Gartner: Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends For 2017

Gartner Symposium is currently under way in Orlando. Vice President and Gartner Fellow in Gartner Research, David Cearley has identified a top ten strategic technology trends for the year ahead. He defines “strategic” as those technologies that will have significant disruptive potential over the next five years.” He also notes that they are “prime enablers behind digital and algorithmic business opportunities.” Here is a summary of the trends:

This Entrepreneur Is Killing It And Raising More Money For Nonprofits In the Bargain

Tim Kachuriak, founder of NextAfter, recently listed on the Inc. 500, helps nonprofits increase donations by using scientifically sound economic principles and statistics. The company expects to reach $4 million in sales with a 31 percent profit margin this year.

An Apple Earnings Beat Could Fuel Another Big Run For The Stock

Stocks continue to chop around as we head toward a lineup of huge events in the coming weeks. First, we have third quarter earnings reports underway. Remember, last quarter companies reported into lowered expectations. And they beat at about the same rate they historically beat--about 70% of the time. But conveniently, they accompanied those better earnings with downgrades on the third quarter outlook.

The Science Behind Feeling In Control About Your Money

Spreadsheets + money = a sense of control

The Strange and Sudden Disappearance of a Coding Bootcamp Founder

For months, Jim O'Kelly taught students how to code via Slack and video lectures. On September 27, he suddenly vanished. And with him, students say, was $100,000 in tuition money.

Wikileaks Claims Ecuador Cut Assange's Internet After Clinton Leak

Wikileaks blames Ecuador for cutting Assange's web connection. Is his stay at the embassy coming to an end?

Corporate Wellness: Get Your Namaste On

After a brief flirtation with yoga in college (I mostly stuck with child's pose and joked with my friends in the corner of the studio), I finally went to another yoga class this weekend. My yoga-teaching older sister bought me a few classes at a local studio as a birthday present. “Get your namaste on!” she wrote. It was very sweet.

It was also very sweaty. Hot yoga takes a lot out of you. A 150-degree room (all right, fine, I'm definitely exaggerating), and a limited amount of space to fit all these mats and people. I learned a few things: 1) put a bath towel on your mat, and your hands won't slip on the mat when you're trying to do downward facing dog; 2) child's pose is still my best friend; and 3) it's a lovely way to relax. And simple.

I'm not quite sure when the yoga trend started in the United States, but it's pretty stellar that so many people are interested in working on things like meditation, focus, balance and strength. As an amateur, I personally found value as a stress reliever. I've also read a lot in the past few months about the impact stress has on the workplace and the rise of corporate wellness programs to manage that stress.

The other day I spoke with Lyndsey Morash, founder of Chasing Nirvana Yoga in Boston. Her story is a good example of marrying the corporate and the wellness worlds. Back in 2012, she was working at a long-hour, high-stress job in Boston. Meanwhile, she also took classes to become a certified yoga instructor.

In 2014, she started Chasing Nirvana, a mobile yoga studio that brings wellness to corporate offices, along with meditation and health coaching. It has a staff of instructors who have been properly trained, certified and insured so that an organization doesn't have to do the background work themselves.

Lyndsey Morash, Chasing Nirvana Yoga

Her most recent venture is a product of Chasing Nirvana: MOGI, a yoga mat pannier that attaches to a bike. She found that - biking being her main mode of transportation to and from work, class and yoga - finding the right bag to carry her yoga mat was impossible. The bag will probably appeal to people who like travel, biking and yoga - especially commuters, said Morash, and its primary market will be people living in big cities like Boston.

After raising money on Kickstarter, Morash is now in the research phase with the bag. She's getting feedback from people who bike and do yoga to finalize the design. She expects it'll hit the market early next year.

Morash, in both of her ventures, is a good example of somebody who saw an opportunity in the growing wellness space and went with it. She saw a market and an opening in that market to make a dent. She and her team work with interested companies in the limited space they have to host classes, and they also are willing to get creative with pricing options. For example, the company might pay for the whole class, or the interested employees share the cost, or the employer and employees share the cost.

“Larger companies have the ability or the funds to put in a gym or use a management company to manage these things,” said Morash. “[But] Chasing Nirvana is there for the company that wants to give their employees wellness options but doesn't have the funds to install a full-on gym.”

Going back to my sister briefly: She works full-time plus overtime many weeks and also teaches yoga classes throughout the week. On a recent phone call, she brought up a certain frustration I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with: being perceived as lazy for wanting time to take care of yourself.

Yoga isn't everyone's idea of “taking care of yourself,” obviously, but it's an option. And taking the time to de-stress is important in a time when stress and burnout are increasing. Whatever the reason for that stress - money, personal problems, health issues, whatever - everyone deserves some time to decompress and mentally prepare themselves for whatever's next.

Tags: burnout, Chasing Nirvana Yoga, corporate wellness, destressing, MOGI, yoga

The post Corporate Wellness: Get Your Namaste On appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

How Should American Express Feel About Al Kelly Taking Over As CEO Of Visa?

don't lose the people you don't want to lose and don't have to lose

Silicon Valley is Furious About Peter Thiel's $1.25 Million Donation to Trump's Campaign

Some are calling for a moratorium on doing business with the legendary investor, PayPal co-founder and Facebook board member.

How losing my phone in Cuba helped me reconnect with the world

My poor online security practices turned my trip to Cuba into an extended internet vacation.

Entrepreneurship In Gynecology: Tracking Four Innovations In Women's Health

Tomorrow I'm off to the 2016 meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), which I've attended almost every year since 1988. As a fund manager I'll be looking for innovations and trends in early development that will be investable in the near future. As an obstetrician/gynecologist I hope to learn how we can better serve women's health.

'Rock Hall Of Famer' Jerry Harrison Launching Red Crow Equity Crowdfund Platform

Angel investor and 'Rock & Roll' hall of famer Jerry Harrison, most widely known for his work with the Talking Heads, is set to launch equity crowd funding portal Red Crow this November, which will initially target 'social impact' and healthcare/medtech sectors. There are also plans to expand into other verticals including cyber security, virtual reality, machine learning and potentially “environmentally focussed” investments.

Deepen Your Relationship With Centers Of Influence

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8 Influencer Marketing Trends That Will Lead You To Success

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Kansas City Startup Shows How To Succeed In China With An Alibaba Deal

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Want To Improve Your Personal Performance? Research Says, Do This One Thing

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The Honest Story: How Jessica Alba Solved A Big Problem

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Amazon's Next Billion Dollar Opportunity Could Be Food

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The 8 Tremendous Ways For Developing A Growth Mindset

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The Point Of Docker Is More Than Containers

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The Wall Street Journal: China's ZTO Express plans $1.3 billion IPO, biggest in U.S. this year

A logistics company tied to China's booming online-shopping industry is set to raise up to $1.3 billion in what could be the biggest U.S. initial public offering this year.

Feds Walk Into A Building. Demand Everyone's Fingerprints To Open Phones

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How To Start A Successful Company As A Millennial (According To This Millennial Entrepreneur)

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Yes, This Airline Really Does Charge You For Checking-In

This might surprise some people.

Deep Dive: $80 billion mutual fund uncovers opportunities in tech stocks, junk bonds

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6 Entrepreneurship Lessons We Can Learn From Climbing Mountains

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10 Ways You're Blowing A Job Interview, and How to Fix

Here are 10 Ways You're Blowing A Job Interview, and How to Fix.

21 Dumb Things Every Smart Leader Needs to Stop Doing

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6 Ways To Conquer The Fear Of Confrontation

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Guys, Do Not Listen to Donald

So this week everyone's talking about pussy grabbing.

I'm not being vulgar; that is what everyone's talking about thanks to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. By now you've probably heard snippets from the recording released Oct. 7 of Trump boasting to now suspended Today Show host Billy Bush how fame meant he could do anything he liked to women.

It's an interesting conversation. Classy and quite matter-of-fact in delivery. I'm not at all serious – about the classy part. Though I must say its release is well timed considering we're only a few weeks out from the November election.

But I'm not here to talk politics. Instead, I'd like to tell you a story. I was on the train speculating on whether the Donald had finally cooked his goose – you're always on the train, girl! Well, yeah. I gotta get to work – and an older woman who works in HR in health care who I see now and then shared this tale with me. This is paraphrased because I didn't record our conversation:

“When I was young I had a boss who was a grabber. He was a pig all the way around, actually. Always leering and wiggling his eyebrows and leaning way too close, you know the type. He developed a special tendre for me. I don't know what I did to spark his attention, but for a while he made my work life miserable. I mean, I had two emotions for months, crying or pissed the hell off.

“I wanted to complain, but my mother told me to just deal with it. That if I told anyone about it, it would backfire on me. I'd get a bad reputation, and any chances I'd have for advancement would be gone because I'd be labeled a troublemaker. So, I bit my tongue and endured, but it turned me into a nervous wreck. After a few months of trying and failing to dodge this jerk, I was a mess.

“I couldn't sleep so my face was a mess, and I was trying not to attract his attention, so I started dressing down. I even tried not to do my hair, and then, get this, I was called into HR about my appearance!

“This stupid woman sat there and chastised me about letting myself go, and how I shouldn't look any different than I did when I first started.

“Your attire then was appropriate,” she told me.

I burst out laughing. “Appropriate?” I asked her. “What the hell would this company know about appropriate? You wanna know why I look like hell, lady? Because I'm trying not to attract the attention of this f- pervert you have as my boss!”

Then I burst into tears.

She was appalled, of course, and she apologized. “Why didn't you say something sooner? We've been monitoring his behavior. You're not the first woman who's complained. He's already on a performance plan. Now we can let him go.”

And not a week later, I had a new supervisor. A lady who was tough, but fair, and didn't give too craps about my fabulous tits or the fit of my skirts.”

“Man,” I said, shaking my head. “That is crazy.”

“I'm not done,” this lady told me.

My brows met my hairline, and I waited with bated breath.

“Many, many years later that fool crossed my path again. He was looking for a job, and as a senior manager I was in on the interview process. I thought the name looked familiar, but I didn't want to make any assumptions. But when I came into the room, there he was, fatter, grosser and much worse for wear. Looking at his patchy resume I deduced he hadn't had much luck in his career after he was let go for being a lecher.”

“Did he recognize you?” I asked, laughing.

“Not at first. I played it cool, but I caught him looking at me a few times. Then after the interview, he stopped me and asked if we'd met before. I said, 'Why yes. I used to work for you. I'm surprised you don't remember, blah, blah, blah.' The look on his face, girl!”

“Revenge is sweet,” I breathed, shaking my head in awe.

“Yup.”

Not quite. A better revenge would have been if she could have cussed his rude butt out all those years ago, for making her life hell on the job and forcing her to endure his pathetic Casanova bullcrap. But you know, they say it is a dish best served cold.

Anyway, I asked her about the actual interview.

“You kept quiet about your prior relationship. There was some implicit bias there, no? He could have tried to cause trouble later.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “But for all I knew he could have changed. I interviewed him as thoroughly as I would have any other potential team member. He wasn't qualified. He was as big a windbag now as he was then. And I was smart because I let the peer with whom I did the joint interview offer her feedback first in front of my own supervisor. Then I added my two cents, which I kept factual and professional.”

“CYA for today.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I guess so. But the bottom line is he wasn't qualified. Nor would I have felt comfortable having him around the predominantly female staff I manage.”

So, how's that for a cautionary tale?

I've had to check myself a time or two about putting a hand on a male coworkers' arm or hand. Not because anyone's ever complained, or because I'm trying anything sexual, but because it's just not appropriate. It's natural to touch someone casually with whom you enjoy spending time. But that's a big no-no on the job. A no-no-no-no-no.

I remember one time I spilled wine down the front of a male coworkers' shirt at a company gathering. I did my thing with club soda, and he was good humored about it. But when I recounted the tale later to a friend, she was like, “whoah. You should not have tried to scrub out the stain yourself, fool! You can't be touching all up on your coworker's chest.”

And she was right! I wasn't leering or commenting on his pecs, but it was still out of line.

So, the moral of these tales? Be careful whose bits and bobs you're grabbing without permission. If you wanna pet something, get a dog.

Kellye Whitney is the associate editorial director for Workforce. To comment, email editor@workforce.com.

Tags: Billy Bush, Donald Trump, human resources

The post Guys, Do Not Listen to Donald appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

MarketWatch First Take: Salesforce CEO Benioff's decision to walk away from Twitter is the right one

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Why Richard Branson Thinks Donald Trump Would Be A Disastrous President

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Connecticut Judge Dismisses Sandy Hook Massacre Lawsuit Against Remington

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The Wall Street Journal: SoftBank plans massive tech investment fund with Saudis

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This Is What Millennial Entitlement Does To The Workplace

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Starbucks Hopes 15 New Stores Will Make It Part Of The 'DNA' Of Low-Income Communities Of Color

A few years ago, Starbucks' location on Sutphin was a forgettable local business. It was literally forgettable--none of the partners or customers who spoke with FORBES could remember what it was. In less than a year, however, the previously unremarkable space has given hope to partners, a home to a partner who lost one, and renewed vigor to a company veteran. Most importantly, it's given a neighborhood a taste of development, and a company a taste of the benefits of partnering with oft-overlooked communities.

Employee Education Is Key to Navigating Shifting Health Care Costs

Health insurance costs are a significant portion of total compensation ranging from 5.9 percent to 12.6 percent.

It's no secret that health care costs are increasing across the board. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, deductibles rose 12 percent in 2016. The trend toward higher deductibles has been especially pronounced among employers with fewer than 200 employees, where 65 percent of workers are now on high-deductible plans.

This trend has significant financial repercussions for both employers and those they employ. Businesses who focus attention and resources on effective employee communication while attempting to align their interests with those of their workforce will be most successful in managing this fundamental shift in health care financial responsibility.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that health insurance costs are a significant portion of total compensation, ranging from 5.9 percent to a whopping 12.6 percent, depending on public vs. private industry, and yet historically, individual engagement in health care decisions has been low.

As recently as 2013 more than half of employees (54 percent) reported they didn't want more control over their health insurance because they lack the time and knowledge to manage it (Aflac WorkForces Report, 2013). But now employees are responsible for an increasing percentage of health care costs and out-of-pocket expenses (OOPs) and are therefore more likely to engage in dialogue about their benefits. With this new structure, it's essential to encourage proactive health expense management and improve benefit satisfaction by proactively educating employees.

As an employer, the general lack of knowledge around health care pricing and the financial implications of that knowledge gap presents a significant opportunity to strengthen relationships with employees. By staying informed on the health care landscape and relaying that information in a digestible and actionable manner to your staff, you can effectively improve worker satisfaction, productivity and retention. There are factors that consumers can and should control in regards to their benefits and it's essential they have professionals to coach them through it.

One tangible example is price variance. Many Americans aren't aware that health care pricing varies and that there are factors that influence it. As a plan sponsor, it's your responsibility to not only be informed on health care pricing but also to be proactive in sharing that knowledge with employees.

The most notable driver in price difference is geography. The Health Care Cost Institute noted the startling differences in common medical procedures by location in their annual study:

The average price for a knee replacement in South Carolina paid by one of the three large for-profit insurers was almost $47,000; yet the average price of the same bundled procedure in New Jersey totaled only half as much - $24,000.

In Cleveland, the average price paid for a pregnancy ultrasound was $522. But just 60 miles away in Canton, Ohio, the average price was $183, according to the study.  

There are many other factors to consider regarding health care prices, including market size, volume of networks in a region, competition in a given market, and number of research institutions in the area, among others. By doing research and effectively communicating pricing factors like these, employers can build trust and provide real value. It's not only making employees aware that they can and should do things like financially plan for medical expenses and deductibles, research prices prior to receiving care, and identify and resolve errors and overcharges, but it's also giving them the knowledge and tools to do so.

In addition to building that awareness, employers can improve engagement by providing access to tools that will help employees make informed decisions. Such services have the potential to save time and money for employers and their employees, as well as cut down on the utilization of HR's resources.

Pricing is only one component of developing a well-informed employee. By empowering your people with information and providing the tools they need to take control of their financial and physical health, you're contributing to their overall well-being and the contentment of your workforce at large. Health care finance management is a real challenge today, and the challenge will only grow in stature and complexity as financial responsibility continues to shift further onto employers and their staff. Don't underestimate the value of educating yourself and passing that knowledge on to your people.

Ellen FitzPatrick is the vice president of partner development at Copatient, a Boston-based company that reviews medical bills to identify savings opportunities and contain costs for plan sponsors and members.

Tags: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Health Care Cost Institute, health care costs, Kaiser Family Foundation

The post Employee Education Is Key to Navigating Shifting Health Care Costs appeared first on Workforce Magazine.