Source name: States Prepare Layoffs, Furloughs during Shutdown

HRM topic: External environment http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/10/10/states-prepare-layoffs-furloughs-during-shutdo wn
Summary: States have furloughed employees as the absence of federal funds is straining already tight state budgets, so more workers will be sent on unpaid leave or even laid off if the shutdown continues. The layoffs have hit civilians at state National Guard bureaus, workplace safety inspectors and state workers who determine eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, among others. At the same time, some states have avoided furloughs by tapping into accumulated federal funds while others are dipping into state coffers.

Why interested：For an international student from China, even a government can still go through shutdown is very shocking. Not only so, while the shutdown has furloughed federal workers, small businesses that work closely with the government are also being forced to let people go. For instance, Chloeta Fire is a firm specializes in battling wildfires, emergency fire response and wildfire preventions and 80% of its business is from government contracts. When the government shut down weeks ago, their contracts with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and some federally funded state contracts were all frozen and they have to lay off some firefighters.

What learned: Wal-Mart, as a company with the Organizational Strategy of Cost, also can offer so much in spite of sexual orientation and earned more praise from gay people. Sexual orientation is a part of diversity in company and the gay people should be protected as a minority. Even though the Supreme Court's June decision overturning part of a federal law that denied federal benefits to legally married same-sex partners has heightened attention on same-sex benefits. The company still have right to offer more on the base of federal law. The other thing I learned is that the HR management may affect not only employees but also some customers. Same-sex customers are not employees of Wal-Mart but this action dose change their altitude of Wal-Mart. However, I am kind of suspicious about the outcome of this movement. According to the report mentioned before, same-sex couples tend to out-earn or outspend opposite sex couples. They may also tend to choose supermarkets with better service instead of a company concentrated more on cost. The prospect of this act may not be so bright.