California preparing sweeping workplace violence prevention regulations
The proposed regulations would require significant resources dedicated to training, prevention, emergency response and record keeping.

In the wake of recent mass shootings in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton, national attention has turned its focus yet again to the highly charged debate over gun control, mental health and terrorism. These attacks happened not only in places open to the public (a festival, a large-chain retailer, and a bar), but also places where people work. While the country struggles to address seemingly random violence in public spaces, these areas are workplaces too. California is responding with workplace violence regulations for every employer in the state.

In the last few years, California's response has been to push through laws and regulations aimed at preventing workplace violence of all types, including "active shooter" incidents. The most recent set of proposed regulations, which could become final as early as later this year, is holistic and requires an interdisciplinary approach and a true partnership between workers and employers. As a result, it also will require significant resources dedicated to training, prevention, emergency response, and record keeping. These California regulations are set to be a model for similar laws in states across the country as well as under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act.

While still subject to further revision, the most recent draft includes the following primary components for workplace violence prevention programs:

• A written workplace violence prevention plan containing various elements (unlike the Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) standard, there is no exception for small employers). Some of the elements mirror the requirements of the IIPP standard (identifying, evaluating, and investigating hazards; employee communication; and procedures for reporting concerns). The proposed regulations, however, also include additional requirements like addressing methods that an employer should use to implement the plan in conjunction with other employers on multi-employer worksites, as well as procedures to respond to workplace violence emergencies, including active shooter threats. Further, the plan must be reviewed periodically and after any workplace violence incident that results in an injury.

• A violent incident log, which must describe in detail each and every incident, post-incident response, and workplace violence injury investigation.

• Implementation of a comprehensive training program and various other record-keeping requirements. benefitspro.com

Webinar: OSHA Inspections: Understanding Your Rights and Navigating the Process to Minimize Your Citation Risk
Every employer dreads a knock on the door from an OSHA inspector. But an inspection doesn't need to be your worst nightmare. If you take proactive steps to find and fix hazards, develop a detailed plan for handling an inspection, understand and exercise your rights, and operate in good faith throughout the process, you can significantly reduce your chances of damaging citations and fines.

While OSHA and its state counterparts cannot inspect every facility, that doesn't mean you can afford to be complacent about the risk of an inspection. The facilities that receive visits from OSHA are far from random, and the combination of your industry, your history of violations, and your injury and illness rates can significantly raise your inspection risk. With a single willful or repeat violation now carrying a maximum penalty of $132,598, being unprepared for an OSHA inspection can be more costly than ever.

Join us for an informative webinar that will provide guidance on planning for an OSHA inspection, navigating the inspection process, and proactively managing safety compliance to reduce your chances of citations and fines. Register for the Oct. 10th webinar here: ehstoday.com

DHS Announces Plan to Combat Domestic Terrorism
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan announced the new DHS Strategic Framework for Combating Terrorism and Targeted Violence at the Brookings Institution, during an event cohosted by the Heritage Foundation. The Acting Secretary explained that the new strategic framework will make it clear that the Department is committed to addressing the threat posed by terrorism and targeted violence at home, just as it is committed to continuing to aggressively pursue the foreign terrorist organizations it has denied entry to the United States for nearly 17 years. securitymagazine.com

Walmart to quit selling e-cigarettes amid vaping backlash
The nation's largest retailer said Friday that it will stop selling electronic cigarettes at its namesake stores and Sam's Clubs in the U.S. when it sells out its current inventory. Walmart said the move is due to "growing federal, state and local regulatory complexity" regarding vaping products. It also comes after several hundred people have mysteriously fallen ill after vaping, and eight have died.

Walmart's decision is the latest blow to the vaping industry, which has tried to position its products as healthier alternatives to smoking cigarettes, which are responsible for 480,000 deaths a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the industry has come under increased scrutiny after the deaths and illnesses - along with a surge in underage vaping.

Walmart is not the first major retailer to halt sales of e-cigarettes. Rite Aid, one of the country's biggest pharmacy chains, said in April that it would stop selling vaping supplies, and in August, Dollar General, one of the fastest-growing retailers in rural parts of the country, also pulled the products from its stores. And Costco pulled all e-cigarette products from its shelves about two weeks ago, the company said.

One of Walmart's largest competitors, Target, has never sold vaping devices and took cigarettes off its shelves in 1996. But as the largest retailer in the country, Walmart often sets an example for others in the industry. abcnews.com nytimes.com

   Walmart CEO a 'woke' leader?


Ex-Overstock.com CEO Sells $90m In Shares, Says 'Deep State' Out To Get Him
Patrick Byrne's dramatic exit from Overstock.com Inc. had a surprise second act last week, as the former chief executive sold his large stake in the company and blamed the Securities and Exchange Commission, which he referred to as "the Deep State's pets."

In an SEC filing Wednesday afternoon, Byrne disclosed the disposal of his roughly 4.8 million shares in Overstock shares during the past three trading sessions, with all but 87,000 shares sold on the open market for roughly $90 million. The remainder was given as a gift to an undisclosed recipient.

The longtime chief executive left Overstock in late August after proclaiming in a corporate news release that he had an affair with a convicted Russian agent and had provided important information to the U.S. Justice Department about Russian involvement in U.S. politics. marketwatch.com

   Posted in the Daily 8-23-19: Patrick Byrne Resigns After Disclosing Romance With Russian Agent


The Top 10 Global Brands of 2019 in Retail, Apparel, and Luxury

By Tony D'Onofrio, Global Retail Influencer

In today's increasingly complex world, branding is critical to lasting success. Every year, I look forward to the latest BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Brands study. This article summarizes the nearly 200-page report with a focus on retail, apparel, and luxury.

"Consumers expected superior customer experience, including rapid delivery. More mindful about the health and wellness of themselves and the planet, they also demanded a high level of responsibility and ethical behavior from brands. To meet consumer expectations, brands become more sophisticated about gathering and analyzing data, increasingly applying the insights across multiple businesses and ignoring category borders to create integrated brand ecosystems."

The Top 10 Retail Brands - Digitization Transforms Shopping Experience

"It was not a surprise, but it was not inevitable. Amazon this year surpassed Apple and Google to reach the No. 1 rank in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands. With a 52 percent year-on-year increase, Amazon achieved a brand value of $315.5 billion."

"To meet - and shape - consumer expectations for frictionless shopping, retailers rebalanced and integrated their online and offline operations. Walmart, with a legacy of physical stores, invested in improving online presence, and e-commerce leaders Amazon and Alibaba added physical locations."

Retail was one of the fastest growing brand value categories at +25%. Over the last 13 years of the report, retailers' brand value has increased 378% and the top 20 are valued at $721 billion. tonydonofrio.com

Five Retailers Earn 'Best Workplaces for Women' Recognition
Fortune, along with its research partner Great Place to Work, has analyzed feedback from 4.6 million U.S. employees and company data to determine 75 of the Best Workplaces for Women. Five retailers made the list:

 3. Wegmans Food Markets
11. Publix Super Markets
39. Burlington Stores
58. Sheetz
73. Cumberland Farms   fortune.com

Global retail leaders to explore future perspectives of retail at NRF 2020 Vision: Retail's Big Show
The National Retail Federation will gather the biggest leaders in retail, technology and business at its 109th annual convention in New York City in January to offer their forward-thinking ideas to 38,000 retailers from nearly 100 countries.

"Retail continues its ongoing, fast paced transformation, evolving in order to meet changing expectations of customers, incorporating new technologies, creating jobs and investing in the future," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. "NRF 2020 provides a platform for attendees to understand the vision and hear insights from retail's most talented leaders on how to succeed in business through innovative thinking and smart investments." nrf.com

Retailers shutter doors in solidarity with climate change strike
On Friday, Patagonia, Lush and several other retailers shuttered stores in solidarity with students leaving classrooms to stage demonstrations in support of climate change action. Lush also closed its U.S. retail and e-commerce operations for the day, according to a company blog post and information emailed to customers.

In a Sept. 12 LinkedIn post announcing the move, Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario had strong words for companies that don't take meaningful action. "The plain truth is that capitalism needs to evolve if humanity is going to survive," she wrote, calling on JPMorgan Chase & Co., Amazon, General Motors "and other members of the Business Roundtable" to "follow through and walk the talk." retaildive.com

First Look: Apple is back - bigger than ever - on Fifth Avenue

Best Buy expands lease-to-own program, joining growing number of retailers

HBC to close stores in the Netherlands