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Increasing numbers of experienced, older workers and new retirees are thinking about delaying retirement or rejoining the workforce. But despite growing problems finding experienced help, employers see older workers as a mixed bag, according to a survey by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Over 80 percent of employers said older workers were “as attractive” or "more attractive” than younger employees. The big draw is productivity: Employers believe older employees know their work and how to do it well. What’s the hesitancy? They fear older workers also cost more in pay and benefits. What to do? The key finding of the survey is that an aging workforce can be a good thing for both employers and employees. Given money saved by a highly productive worker, employers appear willing to hire older employees and may be willing to pay more. And senior workers, especially those out of work, may be willing to accept less pay. KipLinger, Photo: LifeStartSat

Think you need to fire your boss for being an idiot yet?

A health inspector noticed rodent droppings Monday. A contractor laid out glue traps and caught six by Tuesday morning. An employee called the health department to report the mice and says her bosses fired her.

Health inspectors closed a Pizza Hut restaurant in east Raleigh after a worker found live mice inside it. The employee who notified the health department about the mice says she was fired for reporting the problem.

The restaurant scored a 90 during an inspection on Monday, but the inspector noted rodent droppings behind an ice machine. The inspector says the droppings weren’t enough to close the restaurant because she didn’t see any live animals inside during the inspection.

A contractor laid out glue-covered boards Monday night to get rid of the rodents, and an employee found six live mice stuck to the boards Tuesday morning.

That employee called the Wake County Health Department, and an inspector ordered the Pizza Hut closed. The inspector also pulled the restaurant’s permit so it can’t operate until the rodent problem is corrected.

A spokesman at Pizza Hut’s corporate office says he expects the restaurant to reopen Wednesday.

WfMyNews

It’s always been true that if you want to earn more money, you should think about going back to school.

But how many people realize that so many teaching posts could carry six-figure salaries?

According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor showing average salaries for a range of occupations, six categories of teachers are included in the rankings showing jobs where the average of the top earners (the 90th percentile) is in excess of $100,000

They range from math teachers to those who impart knowledge about home economics. In math, for example, the official Labor Department definition of jobs done by those in that teaching category is “teach courses and/or pursue academic research pertaining to mathematical concepts, statistics and actuarial science and to the application of mathematics in solving specific problems and situations.” So each teaching group specifically includes university and college lecturers at the postsecondary level, rather than high school teachers.

The data also show, of course, that the true average wage for all the teachers included in the data set is between Read the rest of this entry »