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Earthworms are easy … to find. But despite their prevalence and importance to ecosystems around the world, there hasn’t been a comprehensive survey of earthworm diversity or population size. This week in Science, Helen Philips, a postdoctoral fellow at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research and the Institute of Biology at Leipzig University, and colleagues published the results of their worldwide earthworm study, composed of data sets from many worm researchers around the globe. Host Sarah Crespi gets the lowdown from Philips on earthworm myths, collaborating with worm researchers, and links between worm populations and climate. Read a related commentary here.  Sarah also talks with Ziad Obermeyer, a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, about dissecting out bias in an algorithm used by health care systems in the United States to recommend patients for additional health services. With unusual access to a proprietary algorithm, inputs, and outputs, Obermeyer and his colleagues found that the low amount of health care dollars spent on black patients in the past caused the algorithm to underestimate their risk for poor health in the future. Obermeyer and Sarah discuss how this happened and remedies that are already in progress. Read a related commentary here.  Finally, in the monthly books segment, books host Kiki Sanford interviews author Alice Gorman about her book Dr. Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and the Future. Listen to more book segments on the Science books blog: Books, et al. This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Ads on this week’s show: The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life by David Quanmen; MEL Science Download the transcript (PDF) Listen to previous podcasts. About the Science Podcast [Image: Public domain; Music: Jeffrey Cook]

A CII survey indicates that the country may experience a protracted slowdown in economic activity.

Shaker Heights, OH : Institute of Mathematical Statistics

Schwedt, Rachel E., 1944-

With no definite treatment protocol in place and a vaccine yet to be introduced, a coronavirus screening survey in the state looks likely. Asha workers are likely to get the responsibility to conduct this survey. “They (Asha workers) are already burdened and any additional work will need additional payment. This needs to be worked out” said an official adding that each worker can be allotted about 1,000 people and a decision may be taken soon.

Dewey Library - K3240.L477 2018

ICMR urged to consider services of AYUSH doctors in the fight against pandemic

Given the government’s extensive requests on avoiding laying off employees, the majority of companies have not implemented or are not currently considering permanent staff layoff/redundancies (84%) or temporary layoff/furlough (83% without government subsidy support and 91% leveraging government subsidy).

According to the survey, five in 10 companies have deferred or suspended their promotion schedule; at the same time a downward trend on promotions numbers across all job levels was observed wherein 33% of organisations admitted to having reduced it. However, most organisations in IT/ITES, life sciences/pharma and retail sector have refrained from any downwards trend in overall promotion cycle.

Daily wage workers and those employed by small businesses have had to take the biggest blow.

The survey titled ‘Covid-19 and its impact on jobs at India Inc’ aims to understand the impact of the lockdown on the country’s employment scenario. It received 1,345 responses from HR professionals working in different sectors.

IT, media, and manufacturing employees think their firms will do worse in the next 6 months. However, they’re confident about long-term growth - 77% of manufacturing professionals, 67% of media professionals, and 65% of IT professionals thought their companies would pick up in the next 2 years.

Worries about job losses are the highest in the country as 86 per cent being worried about losing their jobs and livelihood post-COVID-19 lockdowns. In comparison, this is only 31 per cent in Britain, 33 per cent in Australia and 41 per cent in the US and a high 71 per cent Hongkongers fear job loses, says the survey.

According to staffing company Genius Consultants '9th Hiring, Attrition and Compensation Trend 2020-21', around 81 per cent of the respondents have shown interest to carry on with existing manpower and retaining them.

As India Inc prepares for offices to open post the lockdown, the survey assesses the anxiety level of employees and shows a strong desire to do what’s right by their co-workers by complying to new health monitoring compliances, along with a high degree of awareness of changes in routine that await them.

Rotch Library - HT351.S883 2018

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The survey, conducted by property classified 99acres.com which is owned by Info Edge India Ltd, polled 49,600 house owners and brokers who have listed properties for rent or sale

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Rotch Library - NA4670.A98 2019

Rotch Library - DS109.4.K45 2019

A staggering 49 per cent of the respondents said they did not have equal opportunities for career growth as the men in their organisations.

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Report on the University of Lethbridge Research Data Management Survey, October 2018 Ayers, Sheilah; Scott, Emma; Stevens, Rhys M. G.