Tag: covid-19
SXSW cancels its 400K-person conference due to coronavirus
SXSW has officially announced it will cancel its tech and music conference slated for March 13th to 22nd in Austin, TX due to concerns around coronavirus, though it’s exploring rescheduling. “Based on the recommendation of our public health officer and our director of public health . . . I’ve gone…
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Senator urges Uber, Lyft, Instacart and others to offer gig workers financial security in light of COVID-19 concerns
While some gig economy companies have already taken steps to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among its workers, Sen. Mark Warner (VA) is encouraging them to go further and consider ensuring workers don’t face financial consequences as a result of the virus. “I strongly urge that you attempt…
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Facebook commits to paying ‘contingent’ workers affected by corporate coronavirus response
Last night, in a move that all companies should look to emulate, Microsoft announced that it would continue to pay hourly workers impacted by office closures as the company responds to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. Now, Facebook appears to be following suit, according to a statement from the…
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Citing concern over COVID-19, Y Combinator moves demo day online
Startup accelerator Y Combinator has moved its famed demo day online, citing a “growing concern over COVID-19,” or coronavirus. The demo day has historically drawn crowds of Silicon Valley elite, journalists, and both national and international venture capitalists to watch more than 100 startups come out to the world. “While…
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SaaStr postpones annual conference as county officials discourage large gatherings
SaaStr, the venture firm that puts on the largest conference for SaaS companies, postponed its SaaStr Annual 2020 conference today amid concerns from local and national officials around large gatherings in light of the COVID-19 virus. The event was scheduled to take place next week. On March 5th, Santa Clara…
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Microsoft will pay hourly workers regular wages even if their hours are reduced because of COVID-19 concerns
As more COVID-19 cases are identified in the United States, some companies are asking employees to work from home if possible. But that impacts the jobs of people who work in on-site operations, including many who are paid by the hour. Today Microsoft said that it will continue paying all…
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