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Ad Agency Employee, 24, Dies From A Heart Attack

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-05-17T09:10:00+00:00

There's ample evidence that stress and overwork are a toxic brew, leading to a host of possible illnesses, including heart disease. Still, it was shocking when an Ogilvy & Mather advertising employee in Beijiing collapsed at his desk Monday, and was later pronounced dead due to sudden cardiac arrest. After all, Li Yuan -- also known as Gabriel Li -- was just 24 years old.

Local news outlets in China immediately reported that Yuan (pictured above) died of "overwork," saying that he'd been putting in long hours in the month prior to his death, "not leaving the office until 11 p.m." But Ogilvy & Mather reps insisted that wasn't the case. In an English translation of a Beijiing Times article, sent by the advertising agency to Business Insider, Ogilvy & Mather contended that Li hadn't worked any overtime in the prior month. In fact, his supervisor said, Li had taken a week off due to a mysterious, still-undiagnosed stomach ailment. At the time of his attack, he reportedly was waiting for a relative to arrive at the office to accompany him for additional medical tests.

National Guardsman Store Clerk Scares Off Burglars With Assault Weapon

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-05-02T13:00:00+00:00

While the news is filled with reports of disgruntled workers who showed up at their offices with guns, it's far more common for robbers to be the cause of workplace violence. In fact, cashiers frequently show up on the list of the most dangerous professions for that reason.

But on Sunday in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, two masked men who appeared in Shawn Schank's convenience store in Shingleton, Mich., reportedly got quite a surprise. Schank, a National Guardsman who spent a year in Afghanistan, emerged from a back room of the store carrying a loaded AR-15 assault weapon and pointed it directly at the would-be robbers, causing them to flee, according to local TV station WLUC.

Fired Police Officer Sues, Claims Alcoholism Discrimination

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-04-27T07:46:00+00:00

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If you get drunk and drive a company car into a ditch, can your employer legally fire you for it - if you're an alcoholic? That's the question at the heart of a lawsuit filed by Jason Servo, a former Gresham, Oregon police officer.

In January 2011, Servo admits he got drunk and when he was off-duty, crashed an unmarked police car into a ditch.
Servo, 43, was arrested and later pled guilty to driving under the influence and entered an alcohol treatment program. He was fired. Now, he has filed a $6 million lawsuit against the city of Gresham and the officials who terminated him, claiming he is an alcoholic and his rights were violated under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Just as with any type of disability or disease, they should have made some kind of effort to accommodate that, or some kind of effort to work with him, and not simply sever all ties," said Shawn Kollie, one of Servo's attorneys.

Gresham Police Chief Craig Junginger was out of the office Friday. City spokeswoman Laura Shepard said officials would not discuss the case because their policy is to not talk about pending litigation.

According to the lawsuit, Servo, a detective who was the department's lead firearms instructor, had taken the police car to a firearms training session and then later joined some of his coworkers for dinner and drinks. "This was a common practice among (Gresham) officers and had become an inherent part of the culture," the lawsuit said.

More: 8 Ways Employers Can Discriminate Against Workers -- Legally

Servo, alone in the car, wasn't hurt in the car accident. He refused to take a breathalyzer or field sobriety test, and the deputy who arrested him later testified that Servo was probably one of the "top 10" most intoxicated people he had arrested in nearly 15 years of drunken-driving investigations.

Two months later, Servo pled guilty to the DUI and entered a diversion program. He fulfilled the program's requirements and the DUI was dismissed. He also voluntarily entered an in-patient program at a Serenity Lane drug-and-alcohol treatment center, where he was diagnosed as an alcoholic.

"There were times where I went home and I couldn't get crime scenes out of my head; I went to drinking for that and there are other officers that do the same thing," Servo said Friday, adding that he has now been sober for 818 days. The lawsuit alleged the police chief fired Servo to save money, ignoring the known disability of alcoholism. "I know it sounds kind of like a conspiracy theorist's claim," Kollie said, "but we do believe there was a funding issue in the Gresham police department at the time."

Such "alcoholism discrimination" cases are not unusual. Earlier this year, Jonathan Blazek, a snowplow driver, sued the city of Lakewood, Ohio after he was fired for allegedly drinking on the job. Blazek claimed his dismissal violated the Americans with Disabilities Act because he was an alcoholic. These lawsuits, however, have had mixed success. In 1992, a gym teacher sued the school where he worked; the school had denied him a job as a coach, saying his history of heavy drinking, despite rehab, would bring "negative attention" to the team. The lawsuit was settled for $50,000. But last year, a Sarasota, Florida police officer sued for disability discrimination after he was fired for repeatedly showing up to work hungover. He lost his suit.

More: 15 Things You Need To Know About Disability Discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's fact sheet provides an example of how an alcoholic can justly be fired, and it's similar to the Servo case. In its example, a federal police officer is involved in an accident for which he is charged with drunken driving. About a month later, he gets a termination notice stating that his conduct makes it inappropriate for him to continue. The officer says the arrest made him realize he is an alcoholic and that he is obtaining treatment. According to the EEOC, the employer may proceed with the firing.

The example, of course, is not precise because Servo's crash happened while he was off-duty. "The ADA has provisions in it, across the board, to not require employers to subject other people to unreasonable risk to accommodate a disability," said Bob Joondeph, executive director with Disability Rights Oregon.

Joondeph said he couldn't comment on any specifics in the Servo case, but generally accommodations for an alcoholic might include letting the worker attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings - not allowing them to drink on the job or drive drunk.

Separate from the lawsuit, Servo is appealing the standards-and-training agency's decision to strip him of his police certification.Servo is currently working as a private investigator.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CBS Atlanta 46

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Accountant Allegedly Steals To Pay For Divorce, Breast Implants

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-04-22T13:42:00+00:00

Steffani Lariscy apparently wanted a divorce -- and breast implants and new furniture too. So, according to authorities, the former accountant with a Florida camper sales outfit allegedly stole nearly $170,000 from her employer's coffers and financed these expenditures.

Lariscy, 37, was arrested Thursday and charged with grand theft for allegedly embezzling from her ex-employer, Robbins Camper Sales in Ormond Beach, Fla., according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

Win an Amazon Kindle! Sign Up For AOL Jobs' Newsletter to Enter

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-04-19T06:25:00+00:00

Keep up with the latest career news and jobs listings -- while getting the chance to win a brand new Kindle -- by signing up for our Facebook contest.

To enter, visit our Facebook page, "like" us, and sign up for our newsletter. It's that easy! Don't forget to tell your friends for even more chances to win. The contest runs until April 30, 11:59 PM. Good luck!

Security Guard Allegedly Fired For Blowing Whistle On Musicians' Drug Use

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-04-15T14:14:00+00:00

In California, it's legal to use marijuana for medical reasons, but smoking pot is still very much illegal in offices in that state. A security guard filed a lawsuit last week against Universal Music Publishing Group, claiming that it has been "infiltrated with pervasive drug use where you could smell marijuana seeping from various offices and openly used in common areas," says The Hollywood Reporter.

The guard, who filed the suit anonymously, claimed that celebrities visited the offices with "drugs in hand and oftentimes offering drugs to Plaintiff, which she refused," and that her superiors turned "a blind eye," the trade paper reports. The guard, who described herself in the suit as a 41-year-old African-American woman, is suing Universal Music Publishing Group-owned UPMG; her employer, Universal Protection Services; the building's management and others, alleging a hostile work environment and wrongful termination. She claims that she was effectively fired -- by being banned from the premises -- after she filed written complaints alleging the illegal activity.

McDonald's Pushing Employees To Be Cheerier

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-04-12T15:34:00+00:00

It's hard to be cheery when you're earning minimum wage, but McDonald's is "pushing franchisees" to improve service after complaints about rude employees, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reports that McDonald's execs held a webcast with its franchise owners last month, and noted that more customers are complaining about "rude or unprofessional" employees. "Service is broken," one slide read, according to The Journal's report.

African-American Exec Accuses Fox Sports Of Race Discrimination

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-04-09T15:00:00+00:00

Jerry Davis worked at Fox Sports for 15 years, without being promoted once. He now believes that he knows why: He is African-American. Of the roughly 34 people in top management positions at Fox Sports, he says that none are black -- and, as far as he knows, no African-Americans have ever held top leadership positions in the division's 19-year history. When it comes to hiring non-whites in leadership positions, Fox Sports' track record is "abysmal," he says.

More Men Than Women Fear Being Laid Off, As Economy Weakens

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-04-05T13:25:00+00:00

March unemployment numbers reveal the economy is weakening, it seems employees already are losing confidence. A new survey from Glassdoor finds nearly one in five employees are worried about being laid off in the next six months, despite the fact that many believe the company's outlook will improve over that period.

But more men (23 percent) than women (14 percent) are fretting about the possibility of being laid off.

What's making so many men -- and some women -- gloomy? The survey doesn't explain gender differences. But it did find nearly one in three people say their employer already had cut jobs in the last six months. Interestingly, the Glassdoor survey finds that several "external" factors are shaping people's feelings, including national economic news and government legislation. Take a look at the chart here:

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Foxconn Worker Jumps From Factory Amid Job Cuts, Report Says

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-04-01T15:28:00+00:00

In the United States, Apple routinely is ranked one of the best employers. But in China, Foxconn -- the principal manufacturer of Apple products -- has been accused of Dickensian conditions, which have led to a string of worker suicides. On Friday, a Foxconn worker reportedly was so upset about the prospect of job cuts that she jumped from a factory roof in Shenzhen, China, according to AppleInsider.

She survived the fall, AppleInsider reports, citing reports from Chinese blogs. Other employees reportedly were threatening to jump as well. Foxconn had earlier installed safety nets after several workers, despondent over working conditions and wages, had committed suicide. In 2011, the company also began forcing employees to sign a "no suicide" pledge.

Citing reports from Chinese news sources, AppleInsider said that Foxconn had been "encouraging" some employees to quit in an effort to cut costs. Foxconn, however, has denied that.

In recent years, Apple had begun pressuring Foxconn to improve conditions. CEO Tim Cook also had stepped up audits of its suppliers to ensure that no child labor was used and that workers weren't forced to put in more than 60 hours a week. As of December, conditions at Foxconn seemed to be improving, but other sites have reported that Foxconn has seen a decline in orders this year.

Calif. County Administrator To Be Paid $400,000 A Year -- For Life

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-27T07:07:00+00:00

Like a lot of county governments in California, Alameda County has been facing severe, multimillion-dollar budget deficits. But unlike most county governments, Alameda has guaranteed its County Administrator Susan Muranishi a Wall Street-like salary for the rest of her life.

According to news reports, Susan Muranishi receives a base salary of $301,000, plus an additional $100,000-plus in other compensation, including $24,000 in "equity" pay, a $24,000 performance bonus and $8,292 car allowance.

J.C. Penney Execs Commute To Work Via Jet -- While Laying Off 43,000

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-21T11:32:00+00:00

Since Ron Johnson became CEO of J.C. Penney, he has been under fire. He has slashed some 40,000 jobs and did away with much of the discount coupons that customers loved, and still the troubled retailer remained on the brink, causing investors and analysts to question the merits of his "transformation" plan. Now, a new report by Bloomberg reveals that Johnson approved J.C. Penney paying for at least nine execs to commute to work via jet.

Johnson, along with the company's head of human resources and two executive vice presidents, commutes from California to Penney's Plano, Texas, headquarters. The company's chief creative officer and senior design executive commute from New York, while another executive commutes from Boston, according to Bloomberg's sources. Six of the executives who commute from California are former Apple colleagues of Johnson's.

More: UBS CEO Paid $9 Million While Laying Off 10,000

Business Insider reports that J.C. Penney has a pair of Gulfstream jets. To purchase these jets would cost $41 million each. A typical round-trip flight from California to Texas would cost around $41,000, Bloomberg reports.

A J.C. Penney's spokeswoman told Bloomberg that "with all the travel that retail leaders do, it doesn't always make sense to uproot and relocate their families."

Since Johnson became CEO in 2011, J.C. Penney has axed 43,000 full-time and part-time positions -- about 27 percent of its staff, according to its annual SEC statement. The company reduced expenses by $386 million, but sales have fallen 25 percent, the lowest since 1987, according to Bloomberg.

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Former NBA Star Adrian Dantley Works As ... A Crossing Guard

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-20T08:52:00+00:00

ABC News

Former NBA star Adrian Dantley has probably made one of the most dramatic career changes among his friends: The Hall of Famer is a Maryland crossing guard, earning just $14,000 a year.

Radio station WTOP in Washington, D.C., reports that Dantley a former star for the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons, started working as a crossing guard in September. He works an hour a day at Eastern Middle School and New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md.

It's not because he's broke, either. According to the sports site, Deadspin, Dantley -- an Olympic athlete and former NBA guard-forward -- wanted the medical benefits. Dantley, 58, still lives in the home he purchased for $1.1 million in 1990 and was known for being a penny-pincher, according to Deadspin, but the NBA apparently doesn't provide its former athletes with medical benefits. "He's not just going to sit around," a Dantley "associate" tells Deadspin, "and he just doesn't want to pay health insurance."

March Madness At Work: Employers Threaten To 'Throttle' Video Feeds

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-20T07:00:00+00:00

Brian Prescott, The Breeze

Every year, there is the same debate about whether March Madness hurts office productivity. While some experts say the office pools and chatter around the NCAA's basketball tournament is a morale booster, just as many insist that it's a productivity drain. According to a survey by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, employees spend an average of three hours a day watching the basketball tournament during March Madness. CEO John Challenger estimates the goofing off costs employers $134 million in "lost" work.

Photo Of Man Watching Porn At Work Goes Viral

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-15T13:35:00+00:00

Most people know that watching pornography from the office computer can get you fired -- which is probably why only 3 percent of employees admit to viewing porn at work. But when a Brisbane, Australia, worker was watching an X-rated video from his desktop computer, he thought that he was doing it in anonymity. He sat in his swivel chair, watching -- apparently unaware that he was being watched by amused employees working in a building across the street, reports The Telegraph.

Shark Wrestler Paul Marshallsea Fired For Vacationing On Sick Leave

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-13T09:05:00+00:00

When a tourist was filmed yanking a 6-foot-long shark away from children, the 62-year-old became an overnight hero and Internet sensation. But Paul Marshallsea says that his good deed backfired, as his employer fired him and his wife shortly after. "If I had not gone on to save the kids, my wife and I would still have a job," he told The Daily Mirror.

LA Weatherman Jim Castillo: A Freudian Slip On Live TV?

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-12T13:26:00+00:00

Most of us have tripped over our words at work. After all, it's just habit that made you say "I love you" at the end of a client call, isn't it? And it was an easy mistake to say "power panties" when you meant "power point," right?

Well, at least it wasn't caught on camera. Jim Castillo, the award-winning weatherman at local Los Angeles TV station KTLA, didn't have such luck, when he described his impression of Julie Weiss, the woman who next week will run her 52nd marathon in as many weeks. Was he really that struck by her "tennies" (tennis shoes)? Watch the clip below:

How To Survive A Horrible Interview ... And Still Get Hired

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-06T15:25:00+00:00

Have you ever had a horrible interview that you just couldn't wait to end? The interviewer was looking at his phone the entire time, and you didn't know what to say. Or perhaps you found yourself stumbling when it came to the "salary" question.

On Friday, 12:30 p.m. EST, AOL Jobs' "Lunchtime Live," former human resources exec J.T. O'Donnell and career coach and author Miriam Salpeter shared tips and insights on how to handle the tricky -- and trick interview questions that get thrown at job hunters. From how to answer the dreaded "salary" question (should you fib, ever?) to how to rescue an interview that seems to have gone off the rails, O'Donnell and Salpeter offered tips.

Watch the highlights reel below, or watch the full half-hour show on the AOL Jobs YouTube channel.

Best Buy Joins Yahoo, Kills Flexible Work Program

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-03-05T15:33:00+00:00

Recently Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer ignited a national debate by banning work-from-home jobs. Now Best Buy Co. has followed suit. On Monday, it announced that it ended its much-vaunted program allowing corporate employees to work flexibly, where and when they want.

Auto Industry Created Almost A Quarter Million Jobs Since 2009

AOL Jobs Staff — 2013-02-28T17:40:00+00:00

In the grim days of 2009, America's auto industry, and the millions it employed, appeared to be teetering on the edge of the abyss. But since then, a frenzy of car buying and new fuel efficiency standards have brought thousands of jobs back to the exact parts of the country that most desperately need them. David Kiley, editor-in-chief of AOL Autos, has tallied up the numbers and analyzed the trend. Get ready for some actual, real-life good news.

Read the full story here.

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