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The two-week pay cycle is becoming a thing of the past. Both fintechs, gig platforms, and incumbents in the payroll space have been rolling out earned wage access products, giving employees the ability to draw on money they've earned between paychecks.

Fintechs like Dave and Earnin market directly to consumers, whereas the likes of PayActiv and DailyPay target employers. There are also companies like Gusto and Square that are embedding earned wage access into their platforms.

Clair is the latest entrant into the space with an earned wage access platform built for payroll companies and gig platforms.

"What we've realized is all the other payroll providers, workforce management apps, and gig platforms are interested in building it, but building an entire digital bank is pushing it too far," Nico Simko, cofounder and CEO of Clair, told Business Insider.

"So there is clearly room for a provider who is building a digital bank on a new tech stack and able to give them just the required APIs," Simko.

Read more: Gusto, a $3.8 billion small-business payroll startup, is muscling in on fintechs like Earnin by adding a feature to let workers get paid early

In April, Clair closed a $4.5 million seed round led by Upfront Ventures, with participation from Founder Collective and Walkabout Ventures. Cofounders Alex Kostecki, Erich Nussbaumer, and Simko started building Clair last October. Clair declined to disclose the names of existing customers. Its valuation was not disclosed.

Distributed via payroll companies, employees get access to the Clair app and a Mastercard debit card. Clair makes money through interchange fees earned each time the card is used.

Earned wage access is meant to help employees avoid overdrafts late fees on bills, and serve as an alternative to payday loans. Like many of the players, Clair offers a savings account, too.

Different to many of the fintech players, Clair's platform is free for employees.

"We have one very simple principled approach, which is if you've earned your wages, you shouldn't have to pay tips, transaction fees, or monthly fees," Simko said.

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This season of Below Deck Mediterranean has brought up many questions for fans: What exactly is going on with Bugsy Drake and Alex Radcliffe? Why can't Chef Tom Checkettseverget the right kind of fish in his provisions? Did we really just see the charter guests have an argument about Spanx?

However, the biggest question of them all came in the October 5 episode of Below Deck Med when Aesha Scott and Rob Westergaard posed for a picture with the charter guests before heading out on an excursion. So, did Aesha actually touch Rob's butt?

That debate rages on in the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 5 After Show, above, where The Wellington crew breaks down everything from the events leading up to the photo op to the alleged butt touch to its aftermath.

In fact, still to this day, it's even unclear to those behind the scenes of Below Deck Med what exactly happened. "I remember all of us were like, 'Did you guys see it happen?'" Below Deck Med executive producer Nadine Rajabi recalled in the After Show. "We actually pulled the footage right away to see did she actually, was there a butt touch? And we're like, 'Questionable!'"

Watch The Wellington crew, including Aesha, Rob, and Jess More, share their stance on the situation in the above clip, and let it help you figure out where you stand on this very important issue.

Want more Below Deck Med? New episodes air every Monday at 9/8c or catch up on the entire series through the Bravo app.

Get your first look at the Below Deck Med Season 5 finale, below.

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The Final Docking of the Season!

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Did Aesha Scott Really Touch Rob Westergaard's Butt? Here's What Below Deck Med Production Found - Bravo

Construction of Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport's $25 million parking deck began rising up in front of the passenger terminal Wednesday as the first vertical support beam for the four-story structure was installed.

The 48,000-pound concrete column, at about 50 feet in height, is the first of some 520 structural pieces which builders will put into place as they erect the massive garage, said airport Chief Executive Terry Hart.

Hart said builders plan to install about 13 pieces a day over the next 40 days with hopes of having those up by around Thanksgiving. The 1,300-space garage is slated for completion by summer 2021.

"A lot of preparation goes into making this happen," he said as a large crane lowered the first column into place.

Blake Poole, the airport's vice president of air service and economic development, said about 12 to 15 columns will be installed in each of four rows to support the parking garage. He said the concrete beams were prefabricated off-site and transported to the job.

"It's a key milestone," Poole said about the initial column.

The building of the parking garage, the airport's first, comes as Lovell Field and aviation in general tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic-induced plunge in traffic.

While parking was an issue at the Chattanooga Airport before the pandemic, that's not the case currently as passenger boardings on the airlines are slowly rebuilding.

"We're getting ready for when things get back to normal," said Hart.

One way of gauging passenger traffic is the number of vehicles left in the airport parking lots overnight. Hart said that while the number was down to 50 in April during the initial lock down of the economy, that figure has risen to about 565 vehicles.

"At least it's going on an upward trend," he said.

Still, before the pandemic, the number of overnight vehicles ranged from 1,200 to 1,400 per night, Poole said. Prior to 2020, airport officials had seen six consecutive years of record passenger boardings.

Poole said the recent addition of new nonstops between Chattanooga and Houston along with the return of direct flights to Chicago will help boost traffic.

The airport continues to wait for the restart of nonstop flights to New York City, Washington, D.C., and Detroit, he said.

Brad Gordon of Dayton, Ohio, said Wednesday he flew into Chattanooga for business on Delta Air Lines, adding that he "definitely" feels it's safe to fly amid the pandemic. But he said that this was his first flight since the start of the virus.

"The airlines are taking all of the right safety precautions," Gordon said.

Hart said the garage will offer 650 net new public spaces when complete. The deck is going up on existing parking spaces, and its ground floor is earmarked for the relocation of rental cars. That shift will free up space adjacent to the terminal for a future use that is under evaluation, potentially valet service, the airport CEO said.

As the garage goes up, the design of an extensively enlarged passenger terminal will take place, Hart said.

If the Airport Authority green-lights the terminal work, new gates for airliners, more restaurant and restroom space, a possible second security checkpoint and other enhancements would go up, according to officials.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.

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Chattanooga Airport's new parking deck project hits milestone with installation of first beam - Chattanooga Times Free Press

If youre in the yachting industry, you'll probably have to do a so-called yacht crossing at one point or another in your career.

Many vessels of the Wellingtons caliber undergo a grueling trip before the start of every summer and winter cruising season to reach either the Caribbean Sea or one of the many bustling ports in the Mediterranean. These trips usually happen in the mid-spring or mid-fall to maximize yachting season on either end of the voyage.

Aspiring yachties like Rob who take part in crossings can use their time on board to get in shape, get to know the crew and, of course, get to know the boat. Since there are no guests on board, theres really no better time to get in sync with the crew and learn the vessel from the inside out.

Crew members also get to brush up on their safety knowledge, practicing man overboard drills (remember Ashton's accident on the Tahiti season?), fire safety drills, and even abandon-ship drills.

But crossing the Atlantic is very different than simply sailing around the Mediterranean. When Rob first approached David, the first mate, to ask about joining the crossing, David told him he needed to be 100 percent certain about his decision. Thats because it takes a lot more knowledge, skill, and a different set of licenses and insurance for crew to complete a trip like this.

Originally posted here:
What Is a "Crossing" in 'Below Deck'-Speak? What the Term Means - Distractify

GRAFTON, W.Va. A woman has been charged after a child under her care fell from a second-story deck and had to be transported to the hospital while she slept, officers said.

According to a criminal complaint, on September 23, officers with the Grafton Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Long Street in Grafton in reference to a child falling from a second-story deck.

When officers arrived on the scene, they contacted the caller who told them that her husband had been outside and cleaning his truck when he saw children playing on the back deck of the residence, officers said.

The witness told officers that her husband saw the children throwing toys off the deck into the backyard, then saw one of the children, approximately 1-2 years in age, fall through the railing, according to the complaint.

The child landed on a concrete slab below the deck, and the witness and her husband went over to render aid to the child; while the witness was tending to the child, her husband was beating on the door to attempt to make contact with anyone inside, officers said.

At that point, the witness said one of the children claimed that there was someone asleep inside, and the witness then took the injured child to her porch, according to the complaint, and before law enforcement arrived on the scene, Julie Truax, 25, of Grafton, approached the witness, according to the complaint.

When Truax arrived, she brought items to change the childs diaper, but when the witness informed Truax that she had called 911, Truax got upset and told [the witness] she was f***ed up for calling 911, officers said.

EMS then transported the child to Grafton City Hospital, but Truax had already left the scene and returned to her home, and officers called the child abuse hotline; the child was later taken to the WVU Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, according to the complaint.

When officers observed the diaper Truax had changed, it was completely saturated with urine and when the [witness] had picked the child up she stated her side was wet with urine, officers said.

Medical records from Grafton City Hospital and Ruby Memorial Hospital both confirm head trauma, a skull fracture to the left side and that the injury is consistent with his fall from the deck, according to the complaint.

The child also had had a bruise on the left side of [his] back, a mark on the right side of his chest, abrasions on his right leg, and what appears to be diaper rash, officers said.

Truax has been charged with child neglect resulting in injury. She is currently being held in Tygart Valley Regional Jail.

Read more:
Grafton woman charged after child under her care fell from 2nd-story deck and had to be transported to the hospital while she slept - WBOY.com

BENTONVILLE -- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art announced Thursday it will be collaborating on an upcoming development project with the Scott Family Amazeum.

A play area called Convergence and a six-story parking deck with performance space will be built on 4 acres on the southeast side of Crystal Bridges' 120-acre campus and the adjoining western edge of the Amazeum's property, according to venue representatives.

"We've always been looking for ways to collaborate," said Paul Stolt, Amazeum marketing manager. "It's rare to have two really nationally recognized cultural institutions so close to each other."

The public space will be free to access and will have interactive elements and water features mimicking the Ozark landscape, according to the release.

"It's new and exciting, and it also allows us to show off the natural landscape and really play up the uniqueness of the Ozarks," said Beth Bobbitt, Crystal Bridges public relations director.

The area will feature opportunities for educational art and science programming, she said.

"Crystal Bridges is really good at art, and the Amazeum is really good at science," Bobbitt said. "We're just excited for the opportunity to work with the Amazeum in this unique way and have this offering that builds on both institutions' expertise."

The design is being paid for by the Walton Family Foundation's Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program, which promotes high levels of design for public buildings and spaces in the region, according to the release.

The grant to Crystal Bridges for the design is $382,037, said Luis Gonzalez, senior communications officer for the foundation's Home Region Program.

The parking deck will include 800 free parking spots and a proscenium with two levels of program and engagement space on its west side, according to the release. The parking deck will help meet the Amazeum's projected growth, Stolt said.

The Amazeum was projecting almost 280,000 guests this year prior to the pandemic, Stolt said.

"That is probably 40,000 or so more than we've had in years past," he said.

Crystal Bridges experienced its greatest number of visitors in 2019 with more than 700,000 guests, Bobbitt said. The museum historically fluctuates between 500,000 and 700,000 visitors annually.

Increased visitation to the Amazeum has caused parking to overflow into nearby parking lots, Stolt said.

"Having a way to create more parking in a very beautiful and artistic way is something we'd like to do," Stolt said.

The parking deck is being designed by Fayetteville-based Marlon Blackwell Architects, he said. The design is being completed by Philadelphia-based Studio Bryan Hanes, according to Stolt. Planning for the project began three years ago, Bobbitt said. Construction will begin in spring 2021 and is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2022, according to the release.

A concept rendering of Convergence presents ideas for the four-acre outdoor playscape collaboration between Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Scott Family Amazeum.

Learn, Grow and Explore

Scott Family Amazeum, 1009 Museum Way in Bentonville, http://www.amazeum.org .

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 600 Museum Way in Bentonville, crystalbridges.org .

Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette

Mary Jordan can be reached by email at [emailprotected] or on Twitter @NWAMaryJ.

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Bentonville museums to build parking deck with performance area - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The parking deck is expected to be revenue positive by 2026. In its life span, it is estimated to make nearly $25 million for the Town.

But Bassett said the deck is not meant to be a profit center, and will bring other benefits to the Town. These benefits include keeping the parking fund healthy, improving downtown and expanding access to bike and bus stops.

However, members of the Chapel Hill and Carrboro organization NEXT said they see this deck as an expense that will reduce the Towns capability to borrow money for other projects, such as affordable housing and public transportation.

Stephen Whitlow, a member of NEXT, said he finds this economic development project to be in conflict with the Town's developing climate action plan.

I find it to be a weird position of the Town to tell residents to drive less for climate change, while also putting themselves in a financial spot where they need people to be driving and parking downtown, Whitlow said.

Joe Dye, the executive vice president of Grubb Properties, said he and his team recognize the growing concern of a decline in activity in downtown Chapel Hill and see this deal as a win-win situation. Through the new East Rosemary deck, he said the Town will be able to create public infrastructure while also promoting the businesses of downtown Chapel Hill.

We think this redevelopment effort will be a very positive catalyst for downtown Chapel Hill as it promotes a way to come and spend time downtown with easy access to parking, he said.

Members of the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro have responded to the Towns decision to approve the economic development agreement with full support.

Town investment in infrastructure is just plain necessary," Katie Loovis, a member of the chamber, said at the Sept. 30 Town Council meeting. "Its necessary to attract the private capital required for the office and lab space that we desire.

With the economic development agreement passed, Dye said the Town will now seek Local Government Commission approval for funding. If approved, construction on the deck will begin in spring 2021.

Dye said the deck would be completed and open to the public a year later, in spring 2022.

@Ella_Layn

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com

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Chapel Hill Town Council moves forward with approving East Rosemary parking deck - The Daily Tar Heel

Landmark Heating and Cooling team members in Cottage Grove know that frigid winter temperatures will be here soon.

With that in mind, they spent Oct. 3 installing a new furnace to help a deserving family. This years recipient was forced into early retirement for health reasons and their furnace was on its last legs. Without major repairs, the furnace would most likely not have made it through the winter months.

The Wisconsin family was selected as part of Feel the Love, which asks members of the community to nominate neighbors who are in need. Nominations for the program are accepted year round, with recipients chosen based on specific criteria each Septemberbefore temperatures start to drop.

For 11 years, the Landmark Heating and Cooling team has donated all labor and installation materials to install a brand-new, high-efficiency furnace for a family whose existing unit is severely inefficient or unrepairable, at no cost to the recipient. The furnace is generously donated by Lennox Industries, which has provided more than 1,000 furnaces to families in need as part of the Feel the Love program.

Im proud of our dedicated Landmark team for volunteering and donating their time and talent on a Saturday, says Tom Krausse, manager at Landmark Heating and Cooling. This year held special meaning as we helped a former team member who truly needed a new HVAC system. We knew we had to do something and our team did what they do best.

Landmark Services Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative dedicated to providing customers with the highest quality products and services. For over 85 years, Landmark has provided farm-related products and services to its more than 11,000 members in southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and eastern Iowa, employing more than 275 full-time people and reaching sales in excess of $373 million.

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Landmark Heating and Cooling and Lennox Industries Team Up to Help a Neighbor - HNGnews.com

In thisGTM series, we're asking people in cleantech to tell us what their jobs are like. We hope the series can serve as a source of information and inspiration for recent graduates,professionals planning their careersor anyone who wants to transition into the industry. We also hope it makes cleantech opportunities more visible and accessible to groups that are underrepresented in our growing industry, including women and people of color.

Anatoly Lednyak operates ALED Technologies, a small heating and cooling business based in Manhattan. Our HVAC technicians respond to emergency calls, troubleshootand determine next steps as needed, says Lednyak. The job is all about problem-solving.

The HVAC field (heating, ventilationand air conditioning) is split between installation and technician work, with someprofessionals performingboth. According to industry group Advanced Energy Economy, half a million people in the U.S. are employed in the high-efficiency HVAC sector, with another 600,000 spending at least some of their time on the job working with high-efficiency HVAC equipment.

Most companies in the industry,like ALED, havefewer than 10 employees. The companys technicians are experts on how heating and cooling systems work. Commercial and residential clients call on them to come up with creative solutions to get flawed systems running smoothly again.

We usually work in large buildings, but whether youre fixing the smallest house or the biggest building, the questions are the same, explainsLednyak. What is it that happens external to this unit that is affecting performance? Is this the right unit for the job? Was it installed correctly originally? Was it sized correctly?

Its not always a specific machine thats broken, according to Lednyak;it could be the whole system. So critical thinking the ability to look at a problem from different angles to hit on the right solution is key.

Different HVAC companies may tackle problems of varying complexity. ALED Technologies tends to work on more complex HVAC systems. Lednyak says he sometimes hasproblems finding candidates with all the skills the job requires.

You need to have a good sense of how the equipment works. And you need to have the ability to take a problem from the beginning to the end successfully. Someone may know how to work with their hands and with tools but may not know how to deliver a finished project.

Though the work can be difficult, it is possible to start a career in HVAC right out of high school. Trade school is not a prerequisite to becoming an installer or technician, according to Lednyak, who prefers to train people on the job.

The best HVAC technicians are quick thinkerswho naturally enjoy tackling technical problems, he says.

Another key skill is time management. In a video for prospective HVAC technicians and installers, YouTuber Yung HVAC notesthatinstallationand technician work can be seasonal depending on the region, with sixor even sevendays of work required during the busiest months. But the work can be lucrative,with some technicians approaching a six-figure salary.

People skills are also beneficial since HVAC technicians often find themselves in people's homes or businesses at stressful times. The flip side is the feeling of satisfaction that comes with fixing their systems.

Sustainabilityis rarely what draws people to the HVAC field,Lednyak says. Butthe social and environmental impact of HVAC technicians work is significant.

Ryan Katofsky, managing director at Advanced Energy Economy, saysinstalling high-efficiency heating and cooling units is perhaps the most tangible and impactful job in the energy efficiency sector.

"Because HVAC systems have long, useful lives, often 20 years or more, and account for a large share of building energy use, installing high-efficiency HVAC has significant and long-lasting energy savings impacts," said Katofsky.

As buildings areelectrifiedand efficient HVAC grows as a subset of the overall HVAC market, workers with an interest in the space have an opportunity to use their problem-solving skills to install new efficient systems and reduce energy consumption overall.

The question of how to keep expanding the HVAC workforce and attract a new generation of workers is a thorny one. Lednyak notesthat the industry is in need of regeneration.

Everything is changing and people need to adapt. Thats a problem with our field the technology is changing but the people arent, he said. However, he alsoobservedthat its not uncommon for new technicians to leave the field after just a few years.

Daniel Aldana Cohen, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal, thinks that as the HVAC industry evolves, it could become a more attractive career for young people.

When youre trying to get 16-year-olds excited about this work, with the direction building systems are going,thats easier to do now. HVAC, as a world of all-electric, smart systems that interface with technology, is becoming a pretty interesting sector, said Cohen. The new generation of HVAC technicians could end up doing more interesting, complicated projects that are less rote.

Cohen says that HVAC technicians he has spoken to are interested in newer, more efficient technology like mini-splits and heat pumpsbut inertia is holding the industry back. Cohen sees incentives as key in moving the industry to its next stage.

Cohen used his own apartment as an example. He thinks a more efficient system of mini-splits would be a natural replacement for his failing furnace, but its been hard to sell the concept to his landlord.(The New York Times notes that mini-splits are easier to install than a full ducted system, more efficient than window units or central HVAC.)

Government funding of retrofits for low-income households throughprograms like theWeatherization Assistance Programand a mandate forfor apartment buildings are potential solutions.That would fund "a quarter to a third of homes being retrofitted, according to Cohen.

"Grants for low-income retrofits would bring down technology and installation costs. And incentive programs for wealthier homeowners could yield retrofits for the rest of homes," he said.

In turn, Cohenarguesthat that type of commitment from the government would help justify training programs and encourage a new generation of technicians to regard HVAC as a viable career.

There are all these promises about the potential for retrofits well save all this energy, create all these jobs and then the black box is the actual work of doing it. The [technicians] are the people who are inside that black box, said Cohen.

Read the rest here:
Whats It Like to Be an HVAC Installer or Technician? - Greentech Media News

Bryan White later brought on some of his brothers and the company gradually grew. In the mid- 80s and into the 90s, R&B hit its stride and expanded quickly to more than 40 employees before scaling back down.

We had probably up to 12 techs and 12 crews for install, but they didnt really want to get that big because they wanted to stay true to their roots, Mike White said.

Even when R&B expanded beyond the immediate family, it maintained a tight-knit company culture, prioritizing deep connections with its employees and customers over extreme growth.

We like being the neighborhood company that everybody just thinks of when they want to think about HVAC, Phann White said.

Although times have changed in the HVAC industry, R&Bs approach to service and human connection has stayed the same.

I think its just abouthow we treat the company like we treat our family, Phann White said.Everybody here is a reallytightknit group. Everybodyknows everybody. As long asthey do their job, we makesure theyre appreciated. You can pay anybody anything, but if you show appreciation, they stay with you longer and it shows through their work.

Its often a clich for businesses to use a family metaphor, but R&Bs longstanding employees and customers speak to the companys authentic use of the word.

Mike White spent summers doing ride-a-longs with his uncles who worked for the company and has been working with the company for 25 years. Phann White has been with the company for 19 years. Most employees have been working with R&B for at least 10 years.

That level of loyalty extends to customers both in the city and, increasingly, in Washington D.C. as well. Phone calls with customers regularly become personal conversations about the various goings on with children and grandchildren. Customers will often ask about employees who left the company years ago. R&B employees have even gone to their customers funerals.

R&Bs approach to everything, from an emphasis on word-of-mouth advertising to local installations, has been, and continues to be, community and customer focused.

We take care of our own, Phann White said.

The companys focus on certain HVAC offerings, specifically the Unico system thats meant to be installed in older, traditional homes without the need for remodeling, has also helped R&B carve out a niche in Alexandria and D.C.

At one time, we were thenumber one Unico installation company in the area for the mid-Atlantic, and I still think were top seven of all the companies that sprouted up doing it, Mike White said.

Focusing on Unico system installations has led to some high-profile projects for R&B, including museums, large historic estates and even the homes of former U.S. presidents.

Although R&Bs company culture has remained largely the same over the past 40 years, the company has had to adapt to changing trends in the HVAC industry and technology.

Phann White has been responsible for updating the companys operations, transitioning from the founders old school, pen and paper approach to modern technological practices.

This is the first year we went mobile, so were ticketless now, Phann White said. All the technicians are just doing it from their devices. Last year, I got them to finally do credit cards on the spot now and things like that.

The past 40 years havent been entirely smooth sailing for the company. R&B has had to reckon with a dwindling pool of trained professionals in the field, one that, fortunately, has been eased by a renewed interest in trade schools.

Thats the most challenging part right now, is finding employees and people who want to learn and dont mind a little hard work, Mike White said. But a lot of the guys here, theyre up for a challenge. Thats one of the best parts about it.

R&B has also had to face the 2008 market crash and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, R&B was able to keep all its employees during the pandemic and has had no infections among its staff, according to Mike White.

Its not ideal that the companys 40th anniversary has fallen in the middle of a pandemic, but R&B staff hope to continue providing the community with the same level of quality service for years to come.

We just hope to be here another 40 years and just stay a part of the community, which is the most important thing for us, Mike White said.

See the article here:
R&B Heating and Air Conditioning celebrates 40 years - Alexandria Times