Political and Economic Risk for Brasil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political and Economic Risk for Brasil - Essay Example In regards to economic changes they are considered extremely risky, as stated in MarketWatch.com "Brazil has been a rollercoaster for investors lately. President Luis Inacio da Silva's government is embroiled in a corruption scandal, with accusations of accepting bribes in exchange for legislative support" (Kollmeyer 2). Luiz Incio Lula da Silva was elected to the position of President in 2002. After being elected Lula changed many of his initial plans regarding retirement, tributary and labor. These changes did not go over smoothly with some members of his cabinet and caused further tension. The President believes one the main problems citizens in Brazil face is hunger and has devised a plan to disperse money to underprivileged citizens. Although this act was positive many citizens believed that this was not the most important issue that Lula could have spent money on. One of the most publicized scandals in Brazil occurred when Brazilian Labor Party member Roberto Jefferson admitted he gave bribes to promote the presidential campaign (Wikipedia). According to the BBC news, "based on a survey of 78 firms conducted in 2003, found that just over half had been asked for bribes by officials responsible for tax collection." The survey also found that more than two-thirds of the firms admitted spending up to 3% of their annual revenues on bribing officialdom, the rest spent more than that. This problem is partially because the Brazilian bureaucracy has always encouraged a flexible guideline to the rules (Plummer). Although the president's ratings did falter for a bit, they are now up again and he is projected to be able to win the upcoming election. According to the Political Risk Yearbook Lula has taken great steps to enforce social growth but at the same time will be hurt as he tries to maintain policies for foreign investment. PRY also feels that Lula has intentionally stalled some major problems like debt and that will come full circle when elections come around as other candidates will be able to highlight these weaknesses. With stalling these economic issues, it makes foreign traders weary to invest and will cause growth rates to be lower than expected. Although the trade surplus was healthy in the past years the import prices have risen and therefore caused a deflation in the export growth. This will cause a deficit over the year and by 2009 the deficit is expected to reach 3.3 billion dollars (Political Risk Yearbook 4). In addition to the many problems the president will face come election time, there is an inflation problem that is still prevalent in Brazil. In 2003 Brazil had a 13 percent inflation rate which is the fourth highest in South America (Political Risk Yearbook 8). In reaction to Lula's actions people have reacted and lashed out against their President. When the President promised to settle families on non-productive land and didn't follow through workers began to "squat" or refuse to leave the land and work to produce goods for their country. Although many of the "squatters" were non- violent they made a stand that affected the

Sexual Harassment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sexual Harassment - Essay Example In Vinson verses Meritor Savings Bank, 477 United States 57 in 1986: the United States Supreme Court acknowledged harassment lawsuits against firms for encouraging a sexually aggressive work setting. In 2006, United States’ Head of the state then, George W. Bush endorsed a law that banned the spread of irritating messages on the Internet (also known as spamming) with no discloser of the transmitter's identity. Harassment is unwelcome behavior that is centered on religion race, sex (including pregnancy), citizen origin, color, age (41 or older), and disability. Harassment becomes illegal where 1) stomaching the offensive behavior becomes a situation of sustained employment, or 2) the behavior is severe and persistent enough to make a work setting that a sensible person would ponder intimidating, hostile, and abusive. Anti-discrimination directives also forbid harassment against persons in retribution for filing a prejudice charge, attesting, or playing a part in any manner duri ng an investigation, lawsuit, or proceeding under these directives; or opposing occupation drills that they rationally believe victimize against persons, in defilement of these laws (Walsh 76).Annoyances, petty slights, and unrepeated incidents (unless very serious) will not amount to the point of criminality. To be illegal, the conduct has to create an employment setting which would be hostile, intimidating, or unpleasant to rational people (Walsh 78). Aggressive conduct may comprise, yet not restricted to, slurs, offensive jokes, epithets and name-calling, physical attacks and threats, bullying, ridicule and mockery, invectives and put-downs, invasive objects and pictures, in addition to meddling with work execution. Harassment can transpire in a range of situations, comprising, but not restricted to, the following: The harasser could be the victim's overseer, a boss in another area, a negotiator of the proprietor, a colleague, or even a non-worker. The victim does not need to be the individual harassed, however, can be anybody affected by the unpleasant conduct. Illegal harassment may arise with no economic damage to, or acquittal of, the victim (Walsh 78). Avoidance is the effective tool to eradicate harassment within the place of work. Employers are urged to take suitable steps to avert and correct illegal harassment. They ought to communicate to workers that undesirable harassing behavior will not be stomached. They can achieve this by forming an effective grievance process, offering anti-harassment coaching to their employees and managers, and taking instant and suitable action once a worker protests. Employers should endeavor to form a setting in which workers feel open to raise trepidations and are self-assured that those apprehensions will be tackled. Employees are urged to notify the harasser openly that the demeanor is undesirable and has to stop. Employees must also convey harassment to administration at a primary stage to inhibit its escalation ( Friedman 40). The company is inevitably accountable for harassment through an overseer whose harassment ensues in an undesirable employment deed such as dissolution, failure to hire and promote, in addition to loss of salaries. If the overseer's harassment ensues in an aggressive work setting, the manager can avoid legal responsibility only