Base salary increase of 3% forecast for 2015 (Society for Human Resources Management)
U.S. workers can expect a median base salary increase of 3 percent in 2015 across all main employee categories and most industries, still below pre-recession levels, according to separate research findings by pay consultancy Hay Group and WorldatWork, an association of total rewards professionals. The limited growth indicates no major change in the degree of upward pressure on wages—for now.
—Ron Ruggless
Columnist theorizes ‘true cost’ of burgers detrimental to society (The New York Times)
Mark Bittman, a New York Times columnist who devotes much of his writing to the food industry, writes in an opinion piece that the “true cost” of a cheeseburger could include several societal ills, including a “shortened life.” He attempts to put a value on certain externalities of producing cheeseburgers across the restaurant industry, including, for example, 53 cents worth of carbon-dioxide emissions per burger or 48 cents per burger Americans spend to prevent or treat food-related chronic illness like obesity or diabetes.
—Mark Brandau
Chef decries reality cooking shows (Los Angeles Times)
Culinary elder statesman Jacques Pépin said shows that portray cooking as a form of combat or competition give viewers a skewed view of what actually happens in professional kitchens.
—Bret Thorn
France battles against bad restaurant food (Associated Press/San Francisco Chronicle)
In an ongoing battle against factory-made, pre-packaged foods, restaurants in France will be required to use a new symbol on their menus indicating which dishes have been made in-house.
—Lisa Jennings