Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz – Page 13

The empty work area at the Capitol Area Food Bank in Washington, is seen March 19, 2020. Most employees are not working because of the coronavirus outbreak.

As COVID-19 roils workplaces, here’s how to navigate employee and employer rights

March 30, 2020 at 3:27 p.m.

As businesses close in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19, workers and employers are raising questions about their rights. Here's how attorneys answer some of these questions. Q....

Left, Tatiana Lane and Shantara Barber shop for seniors and people who are under quarantine through Instacart, at Pete's Fresh Market in Oak Park, Thursday, March 19, 2020.

Instacart workers plan to strike Monday to demand safety gear and hazard pay during COVID-19

March 30, 2020 at 9:59 a.m.

Instacart workers are planning a nationwide strike Monday to demand the company supply them with hazard pay and protective equipment as they deliver groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers of...

Employee Dominga Flores prepares eggs at a McDonald's in Downers Grove on June 15, 2018.

McDonald’s borrows $1 billion, shelves all-day breakfast to help it through coronavirus crisis

March 27, 2020 at 8:06 a.m.

McDonald's plans to temporarily slim down its menu during the coronavirus pandemic — and it appears all-day breakfast is on the way out. The Chicago-based fast-food giant said Wednesday that...

An employee oversees SweeTart Ropes as they come down the line at the Ferrara Candy Company in Itasca on June 13, 2019.

Are you an essential worker? Says who? And what if you don’t think your job is worth the coronavirus risk?

March 26, 2020 at 12:11 p.m.

So you're an essential worker. That means you can go to work while the rest of Illinois abides by a mandate to stay home in hopes of minimizing the spread...

Eleanore Eckstrom, director of product design, on March 10, 2020, displays dishes such as sliders, pot stickers, nuggets and chocolate mousse that are made from an alternative protein at Nature's Fynd, based in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood. Nature's Fynd uses a microbe found in the volcanic hot springs of Yellowstone National Park to create a "complete protein" that can be used to make faux meat, dairy, and other food items.

‘Chicken’ nuggets and cream ‘cheese’ grow in trays in a South Side lab. Are you ready for alternative proteins made from a volcanic microbe?

March 24, 2020 at 3:42 p.m.

A food tech company operating in the shadow of Chicago's old Union Stockyards has developed a new kind of animal-free protein that it, and its big-name funders, believe can help...

Luke Magana, a cashier at Mariano's in Oak Lawn, wears gloves as he checks out customers on March 20, 2020. "It's been kind of scary and nerve-wracking, but I try not to overthink it," said Magana.

Cashiers. Janitors. CTA employees. While much of the public hunkers down at home amid coronavirus pandemic, some people must still show up for work.

March 23, 2020 at 8:48 a.m.

While much of the public hunkers down at home amid stern warnings to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, some people have jobs that are deemed so critical they...

The McDonald's global headquarters in Chicago's Fulton Market district is seen Dec. 19, 2019. The fast-food giant said in a filing March 17, 2020, that it is considering deferring rent for franchisees during the coronavirus crisis.

McDonald’s considering rent deferrals for franchisees amid coronavirus shutdown

March 17, 2020 at 4:20 p.m.

McDonald's is considering deferring rent for franchisees as restaurants around the world close to in-store dining as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. In a regulatory filing...

A judge has halted a federal rule change that would have subjected more than a million food stamp recipients to work requirements starting April 1, easing concerns that hundreds of thousands of people would lose food assistance at a particularly vulnerable time.

Food stamp work requirements halted by judge, but it won’t help Cook County SNAP recipients already subject to the work rules

March 17, 2020 at 3:19 p.m.

A judge has halted a federal rule change that would have subjected more than a million food stamp recipients to work requirements starting April 1, easing concerns that hundreds of...

When working from home you might begin to feel more alone with each passing day. According to Glassdoor, it's important to remain social. Schedule after-work phone calls with friends and family and make a note to go outdoors and get a breath of fresh air at least once a day.

Coronavirus crisis could be ‘watershed moment’ for WFH — working from home — if employers pull it off right

March 16, 2020 at 1:36 p.m.

The Great Work-From-Home Experiment is upon us. Not just for a day or two, as many Chicagoans experienced when they hunkered down during last year's polar vortex. But potentially for...

Sue Allen of Grayslake tells clients about the new Bigger Table hot cocoa mix at the St. Anastasia Food Pantry in Waukegan.

Chicago food companies are teaming up to help feed the poor. Their debut creation: Healthier hot cocoa.

March 16, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

Since launching three years ago, the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network has sought to make the region the "the Silicon Valley of food and beverage" by cultivating the kind of...

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