You hate my job: Giving out parking tickets

Chau Tu — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:59:08 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 15:44

Gina Delvac

LA parking enforcement officer Jenny Day, on her beat.

During the recession and slow economic recovery, most people seem pretty happy just to have a job. Any job.

But there are some jobs in this economy -- in key parts of it, in fact -- that don't get any love. And so we begin our new series, You hate my job.

Jenny Day is a traffic officer -- she patrols the streets, looking for expired parking meters. And she is good at what she does, and has been doing it for nine years.

She's given out thousands of parking tickets... probably more.

Listen to the full audio above to ride along with her on the job.

Marketplace for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Gina Delvac

Parking enforcement officer Jenny Day, in Downtown Los Angeles.

Interview by

Kai Ryssdal

Podcast Title:

You Hate My Job: Parking officer

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Interview

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New York restaurant owner says tips not needed

John Ketchum — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:59:05 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 14:57

Matthew Mendoza / Creative Commons

Chef at Sushi Yasuda.

You go out to dinner. You fnish your meal, have good conversation and then the bill comes.

You look down, and there’s no line for a tip. Sound crazy? Not if you eat at Sushi Yasuda in New York.

The restaurant argues that staff at the Japanese restaurant in Manhattan are paid a fair wage and don’t need tips to compensate for low pay; similar to the way it works in Japan. There is even a section on each receipt that explains that:

“Following the custom in Japan, Sushi Yasuda’s service staff are fully compensated by their salary. Therefore gratuities are not accepted. Thank you.”

Sushi Yasuda owner Scott Rosenburg said at first customers were perplexed by the no tipping policy, but after a while people got used to it.

“I think it helps that we’re a classical pure sushi restaurant and people are a little bit more open to suspend their own habits or traditions a little bit,” said Rosenburg.

No tipping means prices at Sushi Yasuda are about 15 percent than you expect. Rosenburg said that people who come to his restaurant expect to pay a little more and some even see no tipping as a plus.

“I saw three gentlemen as they read the notice. One said I’m going to order 25 percent more sushi now. Another one said I’m going to come once more a month,” said Rosenburg.

Marketplace for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

6 ways to protect yourself from restaurant tip theft

The truth about tipping

Interviewed By

Kai Ryssdal

Podcast Title:

New York restaurant owner says tips not needed

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Interview

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Must reads before Supreme Court rules on gay marriage

Chau Tu — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:47:54 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 13:28

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

A same-sex marriage supporter waves a rainbow flag in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on March 26, 2013 in Washington, D.C., as the Court takes up the issue of gay marriage.

The Supreme Court is set to announce high-profile rulings on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's Proposition 8 that explicitly states that a legal marriage can only be between a man and a woman. DOMA, under a case known as United States v. Windsor, currently denies federal benefits to legally married gays and lesbians in the 12 states, plus the District of Columbia, that allow same-sex marriage. Prop 8 was brought to the Court under the case Hollingsworth v. Perry.

The rulings could come as early as Thursday, and in preparation, here's some background reading about the business and economics surrounding the case:

Business owners in some states are worried about bans on same-sex marriage being bad for business.

Despite what you may think, these rulings may not immediately make tax filings any more simple for same-sex couples.

The woman at the heart of United States v. Windsor, Edith Windsor, had to pay some $360,000 in estate tax after her wife died because the Defense of Marriage Act wouldn't let the I.R.S. recognize their marriage. That's just one of the many lesser-known benefits of gay marriage.

Just asking the Supreme Court to consider your case can cost you anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000 in D.C. hourly lawyer rates alone.

Back in February, major tech companies -- including Apple, Facebook and eBay -- stood out among 200 employers who signed a "friend of the court" brief, stating their support of same-sex marriage.

Meanwhile, the shift of public opinion towards supporting same-sex marriage means political action committees (PACs) are also deciding to set their sights -- and funds -- on politicians who have already voiced their support. On Wednesday, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski became the third Republican senator to back gay marriage.

Stay tuned to Marketplace as the rulings come forth.

Chau Tu

Story Type:

Blog

Why forks in your office kitchen keep disappearing

John Haas — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:15:59 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 13:12

Karen Rubado / Creative Commons

One reason kitchen supplies are harder to keep stocked? U.S. companies have cut about a million office support positions.

At lunch time at Local Projects, a media design firm, it's every person for themselves when it comes to silverware. About 40 workers share the office kitchen. Donna Meredith works here, and she's desperate for a spoon.

“Here I am making some tea,” she says, “and I need to stir it up. So I end up using a knife. Silverware has always been an issue at every office I've worked in.”

Her coworker Miriam Lakes deals with the missing spoon problem another way.

“I tend to hoard one at my desk,” she tells me. “We have this specific kind that are nicer, like heavier weight spoons, that I like to just keep around me.”

And don't even get her started on the missing mugs.

“It's definitely like every two weeks or so,” she laments, “there will be an email. 'Have you seen my mug?' And there will sometimes be a photo of it, or just a detailed description, asking for it back.”

It's not that the design firm's employees are petty. But having to worry about your kitchen objects, at work, it really bothers people. I talked to Alison Green about it. She's a management consultant, and she runs the blog Ask A Manager. She says she hears a lot of grumbling about kitchenware.

“I think,” she says, “it speaks to a larger trend of people feeling like, a sort of care that used to be toward them from their workplaces is increasingly going away.”

That kind of care used to have a face. People like receptionists, and office managers.

“In terms of the percentage of the labor force that works in office administrative support,” says Mike Konczal, an economic research fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, “it's been a decline over the last several decades.”

He says that since the recession hit, U.S. companies have cut about a million office support positions.

“Part of it is technology,” he explains. “It's much easier to you know run your calendar than it was maybe 30 years ago, or simple things like getting a flight or booking a car can be done over your phone.”

But collecting stray silverware? So far that's beyond the realm of current technology.

“There isn't that Rumba yet.” Konczal jokes. “So, once that robot comes maybe things will be different. But for now, you're going to have a lot of people who are just kind of angry in the workplace.”

Back at the design firm, Jenny Kutnow and Miriam Lakes say missing silverware can be annoying, but it's not that big of a deal.

“I think if it came down to whether we could buy a new typeface or buy new silverware,” Kutnow says, “I would vote for the typeface.”

“We'd all just be eating with our hands,” laughs Lakes.

Marketplace for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Why companies are getting rid of cubicle walls

Audrey Quinn

Podcast Title:

Why forks in your office kitchen keep disappearing

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Feature

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Fast-fashion H&M slow to take its clothes online

Ethan Lindsey — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:20:07 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 12:08

Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

General atmosphere at the H&M's Conscious Collection Launch Event at H&M Fifth Avenue on April 4, 2013 in New York City.

Yeah, this is a story where analysts have plenty to say. But a story full of analysts can be kind of boring.

So instead, I called up the perfect, potential, H&M online shopper, 24-year-old Sonya Laws, in Asheville, N.C. “I’m not excited enough to squeal, but I am excited,” she says. Michael Pardot, outside an H&M in Pasadena, Calif., was also amped, “it’s about time; I was waiting for it since they opened up the store.”

Why did it take H&M so long? This is where the analysts come in handy.

“You’ve got complexities in the U.S. in terms of different sales taxes, where you put your distribution centers, how you manage even more sales than you had been planning on with just your individual stores,” says Patty Edwards with Trutina Financial.

She says H&M can’t afford to get it wrong; when you come this late to the party, you’ve got to look good. “They’ve got to be able to offer a turn-key experience that is an excellent experience right off the bat,” says Edwards.

If H&M is able to get it right, Morningstar analyst Jamie Katz says other fast-fashion is going to need to watch out. “H&M is very price cognizant,” Katz says, “they do not like to raise prices and so that means it keeps other retailers on their toes regarding pricing.”

Which could mean cheaper summer dresses for all of us.

Marketplace for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Adriene Hill

Podcast Title:

Fast-fashion H&M slow to take its clothes online

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News Story

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Can the NBA sell Obamacare?

Ethan Lindsey — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:12:39 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 12:08

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

LeBron James of the Miami Heat looks on before the start of play following a timeout against the San Antonio Spurs during game 5 of the NBA finals on June 16, 2013 in San Antonio, Texas.

If you're a basketball fan, you'll be in front of the tube Game 7 of the NBA Finals Thursday night.

Marketing-wise, pro basketball players have sold a lot of things: Cars. Credit cards. Beer -- duh.

Well, how about Obamacare?

That's right, there's talk of a partnership with the NBA to get the word out to the uninsured.

Athletes hawking insurance, it's been done. Massachusetts paid the Boston Red Sox to promote its health exchanges a few years back. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield threw this pitch, on TV.

Tim Wakefield: "The state's health connector has affordable plans, lots to choose from, and easy sign-up."

Last week at a state health meeting, officials indicated the Feds will follow suit, citing a "national campaign sponsored by the NBA."

Josh Archambeau of the Massachusetts think tank Pioneer Institute attended. He says the target group is young, single males.

"And the demographics of the NBA certainly match that," Archambeau says. "And probably most important, their season also coincides with open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act."

The NBA didn't call us back to confirm. Federal health officials would only say they're "speaking with a wide range of potential partners."

What is clear is the president loves basketball. He hooped it up with NBA stars in D.C. three years ago. Former White House economist Jared Bernstein was there with the pros.

"They were probably playing at around 5 percent," says Bernstein. "And he was playing at around 100 percent, but that said, he scored a few baskets as I recall."

An NBA assist would be great for the White House.

But what about the league? It has to be careful not to appear political.

"If they're out there saying 'hey there's this new thing out there you need to check it out, find out if it's for you,' that's one deal," says says brand consultant Jamie Rice at Carton Donofrio Partners. "If they are out there saying 'the president has done X, Y and Z and we need to support him' that's a completely different deal."

Whatever the outreach, it'll be hard persuading young, healthy men without families to buy insurance.

But the health care law needs them paying into the system to succeed.

Marketplace for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Scott Tong

Podcast Title:

Can the NBA sell Obamacare?

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News Story

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Work from home, get distracted

Chau Tu — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:30:49 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 10:24

Ian Lamont / Creative Commons

A home office.

As of 2011, about 34 million Americans worked from their home in some capacity, and that number is increasing. The rise in more people working from home means more time they're able to spend with family, right?

In actual fact, it means remote workers are getting creative about how to avoid the folks they share space with.

It's a Friday afternoon in Los Angeles. Author and screenwriter Jessica Koosed Etting is sitting in her home office, emailing with her publishing company about a new young adult novel. It's an unusually quiet moment. Etting has two sons, ages 3 and 1. Right now they're on a walk with the babysitter.

"I kind of know they're about to walk in and I'm trying to do things that are less concentration-heavy, because I know I'm going to be jolted in a few minutes," she says.

Etting's office is in a nook in her bedroom. She has a bathroom in here, and she stocks a full supply of water, coffee and snacks.

"Because if I am thirsty and I have to leave my office for a glass of water in the kitchen, that could inevitably mean I run into the kids and the nanny, and then it's 'Mommy, sit with me for lunch,'" she says.

But all this hiding and dealing with interruptions can take its toll. Etting has plans to build a more detached office. She says it could cost upwards of $25,000. It's enough to make you doubt the joys of spending the day in pajamas.

"Working from home can be wonderful," says Stew Friedman, who directs the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School's WorkLife Integration project. "It often isn't because people don't think through well enough what they need to do to make it work."

Friedman says people switch back-and-forth frequently between a work role and family role when they have a home office. That can be confusing for younger kids or even a spouse. Friedman's tip is to come up with a signal, something as simple as putting signs on the door.

"Red means 'Do not enter, Mommy is doing something that cannot be disturbed.' Yellow means you can knock, and green means you can come on in," he suggests.

More and more people are dealing with the challenges of living and working at home. Friedman thinks that houses of the future may be built to suit both uses. For now, there's a niche industry altering the houses of yesterday.

John Granahan's construction company specializes in high-end soundproofing. Companies like his have seen an increase in demand for soundproofing home offices -- 50 percent between last year and the year before.

Marketplace for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Why companies are getting rid of cubicle walls

Getting away from the office is getting harder to do

Alex Schmidt

Podcast Title:

Work from home, get distracted

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Feature

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Sorry to say, but an apology costs money

Ethan Lindsey — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:14:57 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 10:08

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Jo White delivers remarks on May 3, 2013 in Washington, D.C. White is pushing for more admissions of wrongdoing in cases of widespread harm to investors .

After the housing crash, companies accused of shady financial dealings would be investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Punishment usually consisted of a fine and did not include any admission of wrongdoing. It's known as a "no admit, no deny" settlement.

Many lawmakers and other political figures have complained about the practice, and now the new head of the SEC, Mary Jo White, is responding. Yesterday, White said the SEC will seek guilty confessions in some cases. But beyond moral satisfaction, just what does a mea culpa really get you?

Donald Langevoort, a professor of law at Georgetown University, says the reason it matters is something called Collateral Estoppel. "Once you’ve been found liable in one case, you cannot deny it in the next," he explains.

Langevoort says it means that admitting guilt comes with the promise of more lawsuits. "Anybody who considers themselves a victim, whether it be a shareholder, a competitor, a state regulator, can say, it’s not a question of whether you did anything wrong anymore. It’s, ‘What do you owe us?’"

That means it is cheaper for most companies to go to court says Joe Grundfest, professor of law and business at Stanford University. That’s bad news for the SEC, which has limited resources, hundreds of cases to try and simply can't afford to fight huge companies in court.

"If the SEC wants to settle these matters quickly and get money back to investors quickly, it often has to agree to settle on a neither admit nor deny basis," says Grundfest.

Still, the threat of having to admit guilt is important says John Coffee, director of the Center on Corporate Governance at Columbia University Law School. Coffee says companies should not be able to count on a slap-on-the wrist fine when they break the law. Coffee says the SEC may simply have to reshuffle resources.

"We may have less SEC actions, but the settlements will be more meaningful, and I think that’s the right direction to move in," he says.

Coffee expects we will still see a lot of “no admit, no deny” settlements from the SEC.

Marketplace for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Stacey Vanek Smith

Podcast Title:

Sorry to say, but an apology costs money

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News Story

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PODCAST: All Fed, all the time

klong — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:08:45 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 08:55

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on June 11, 2013 in New York City.

Many times when companies settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission, they don't have to admit they did anything wrong. That practice may be changing.

Recently, we've seen stock prices shoot up, with home prices following right along. As they've risen higher and higher, some market watchers have tossed around a word that connotes something very light, but in this context, carries heavy meaning: bubble.

Today on Wall Street, all eyes are on the Federal Reserve. The Fed is expected to announce what it plans to do with interest rates and whether it will continue its massive bond buying program known as quantitative easing.

Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Mark Garrison

Podcast Title:

6-19-2013 Marketplace Mid-day Update

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Blog

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All in one

What is a bubble and are we in one?

klong — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:44:44 +0000

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 07:42

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Turner Ward of the Arizona Diamondbacks blows a large bubble in the dugout during a game between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field on April 20, 2013 in Denver, Colorado.

"A bubble is one of these things like pornography, you know it when you see it," says Allan Sloan, Fortune's senior editor-at-large. "To me, a bubble is an Internet stock that comes out at $40, goes to $100, and two years later trades at $7. But these days, a bubble seems to be defined as something that will go down."

To hear more about whether we are in a housing, stock, or even a bond market bubble, click on the audio player above.

Marketplace Morning Report for Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Interview by

Mark Garrison

Podcast Title:

What is a bubble and are we in one?

Story Type:

Interview

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Top Stories on Marketplace.org

You hate my job: Giving out parking tickets

New York restaurant owner says tips not needed

Must reads before Supreme Court rules on gay marriage

Why forks in your office kitchen keep disappearing

Fast-fashion H&M slow to take its clothes online

Can the NBA sell Obamacare?

Work from home, get distracted

Sorry to say, but an apology costs money

PODCAST: All Fed, all the time

What is a bubble and are we in one?