LONDON/CHICAGO -- PepsiCo Inc’s incoming chief executive Ramon Laguarta is the latest of a new generation of leaders tasked with reigniting growth at the world’s best-known food and drink brands as they fight back against media-savvy independent rivals.

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it hopes to expand cooperation with Indonesia to upgrade standards for nursing education.

THE LABOR department has banned employers deducting wages from workers for payment plans from profiting as a result of their participation in the scheme.

Despite overtime work, many of our workers miss their production quotas and deadlines to the absolute disappointment of management and our clients. What’s wrong with us? And how would you propose to solve our problem? -- Don’t Know.

THE LABOR department is seeking more time from President Rodrigo R. Duterte to complete its second list of companies allegedly involved in illegal contractualization.

TOKYO -- Misaki Harada wants to quit her job as a receptionist at a restaurant management company in Tokyo and move into marketing for an apparel maker.

THE LABOR department said it will assist the 7,000 or so contractual workers of PLDT, Inc. (PLDT) through an “emergency employment program.”

TOKYO -- A Tokyo medical school for years altered the admission test results of female applicants to keep the number of women in the student body low, a Japanese newspaper reported Thursday.

We’d like to establish a peer-to-peer program to mentor our new and junior workers on the job as our line supervisors are fully occupied in their respective jobs. Could you please help us determine all the things to consider so that we can come out with an ideal mentoring program? – Very Specific.

PLDT, Inc. (PLDT) questioned a recent order by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) regarding the employment status of its workers as “irregular” and “procedurally inappropriate,” because it considers previous orders issued by the department to have been final.

I’m a department manager at a medium-sized factory. I’m sure you have also encountered stupid, if not unpopular management policies that people managers are obligated to uphold and protect from employee criticism. But how would you do it without sounding disloyal or irresponsible to the organization? -- Very Cautious.

HIRING ACTIVITY grew for a fifth straight month in May, with job listings rising 7% year on year, though the growth rate was slower than the 12% recorded in April, and the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector continuing to post double-digit declines, online jobs website said.