Workers & Wages

“If the business community isn’t out there telling the real story — the American story — of opportunity and progress in this country, then no one should be surprised when people believe it’s as bad as the headlines and the political ads say it is.”

Bank of America CHRO Sheri Bronstein explains what’s behind the company’s leading performance for Workers in our 2023 Rankings of America’s Most JUST Companies.

Capitalism, it seems to me, is undergoing a transformation, not unlike Charles Dickens’s famed Christmas creation, Ebenezer Scrooge. The question is whether its future will be different from its present and its past.

These companies lead in our 2023 Rankings on the core worker issues that matter most to the American public.

While millions of American workers do not currently have access to paid sick leave, multiple studies show that it provides tangible benefits to companies – reducing absenteeism, the number of employees working while sick, and reducing turnover.

As a member of The Worker Financial Wellness Initiative, Prudential Financial is investing in its workers, like Shanelle Forde, and seeing their engagement boost in return.

“Folks realize there’s no going back to the old way. This generation of employees expects companies to pay equitably,” the Syndio CEO said.

Workers and wages remain the American public’s top priority for companies, with a bump in importance for workforce advancement amid AI and job security fears.

JUST is partnering with the Schultz Family Foundation and the American Opportunity Index to connect the dots between corporate policies and real-world outcomes for workers.

What makes a good job? It’s a question that’s driving many conversations today – from picket lines with auto employees and Starbucks baristas to C-suites and boardrooms across the country.

Americans don’t think companies are making progress on their commitments to their stakeholders. And, beyond that, they want to see action from America’s largest companies on what matters most – workers.

As companies increasingly adopt AI tools, how can they ensure these technologies align with the priorities of the public and benefit all stakeholders? The Just AI Initiative aims to shed light on this critical question.

TIAA’s Sastry Durvasula explained how artificial intelligence will help cut business inefficiencies, change its financial products, and help reduce inequality in the workforce and economy.

“In Atlanta, we learned that despite the gleaming new office buildings in downtown Buckhead, economic mobility is low, deep inequality persists, and talent goes untapped.”

The dispute between the United Auto Workers and Detroit’s so-called “Big Three” – Ford, GM, and Stellantis – has once again thrust the topic of employer-employee dynamics into the headlines. Some view it as a test case with wider repercussions for American industry.

Amidst all the confusion, misinformation, and political wrangling over corporate ESG, stakeholder capitalism, and social responsibility, it is easy to lose sight of two basic questions. What are companies actually doing, and why? 

The American worker takes center stage yet again. 

Banks are the leading industry when it comes to fair chance disclosure, with five companies disclosing a policy for hiring formerly incarcerated individuals.

One of the most just CEOs of the last several years, PayPal’s Dan Schulman, will step down toward the end of September. His legacy for workers will endure.

Make no mistake: Regardless of industry, workers are asking more of their employers in a way that hasn’t been seen in a long time.

Akamai Technologies Chairman Dan Hesse shares with JUST why culture is the most important element of corporate success.

What could have been a highly disruptive strike was avoided on Tuesday when UPS and the Teamsters – which represents more than half of the company’s workforce – reached an agreement on wages and benefits just days before their current contract expired.

While it’s true many Americans still face severe financial difficulties, it’s also true that things do seem to be finally trending in the right direction.

“Enhancing parental leave has a significant impact in terms of improving productivity, retention, and employee morale,” Morgan Stanley’s David Stark tells JUST Capital.

“Investing in workers isn’t about being nice. You’re doing this because this is how you win with customers. This is how you win as a business.”