Gore Promises Balance Between Home and Work
Campaigning for the Democratic Presidential nomination, Vice President Al Gore outlined proposals that he says will help workers balance the demands of the workplace with those of the home. His plans include encouraging employers to create "family-friendly" workplaces and supporting tax incentives for businesses that provide their workers on-site day care. Gore also vowed to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to cover all but the smallest businesses.

Floyd Adds to Unemployment
Hurricane Floyd has left a wave of new unemployment claims in its wake, according to the Labor Department. The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits went up by 10,000 in the weeks after the storm. For the week ending October 2, there were 302,000 new claims, the highest level since July 17.

Mainstream Execs Migrate to Web
Internet employment experts report that increasingly, top jobs at Internet start-ups are being filled not by independent-minded young entrepreneurs but by mainstream corporate executives from other industries. Experience at running big companies, they say, is the selling point. Top defectors to the online world include George Shaheen, former CEO of Anderson Consulting, who left for Webvan Group, an Internet startup.

Court Okays Drug Tests for Teachers
Mandatory drug tests for prospective teachers are constitutional, the Supreme Court has ruled. The Court rejected the idea that the tests violate privacy rights. The case involved the Knox County Board of Education in Tennessee, which requires that teachers take drug tests because they hold "safety-sensitive'' positions.