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Registration of first dot-com
Symbolics Computer Company, based out of Massachusetts, registered the first dot-com name, signifying the beginning of the Internet (Zimmerman, 2017). Growth was small at first, with only 100 dot-coms having been registered within the next two years. Later inventions of the World Wide Web and languages such as HTML will have almost universal impacts in workplace productivity and operations. -
Windows 1.0 arrives
One of the most prevalent operating systems in workplaces, schools, etc. around the country is Microsoft Windows. Currently on version 10, applications like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel are widely used to make the workplace more efficient and productive (Computer Hope, 2019). -
Americans with Disabilities Act takes effect
The ADA protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination at work, school, and all public spaces. The law creates an even playing field for individuals with disabilities to access, find success, and thrive in all public sectors. This act was amended in 2008 and included revisions to the definition of "disability" (ADA Network, 2019). -
World Wide Web debuts
While the Internet had technically been in existence for a few decades, Tim Berners-Lee's World Wide Web eventually became synonymous with the term (World Wide Web Foundation, n.d.). In reality, the World Wide Web is how we access the internet. This would eventually revolutionize how we complete tasks, communicate, and share information in the workplace. -
Google is incorporated
Though the company name had been registered for a year, Google officially became a private company in 1998. It was still being operated out of a garage at this time. The ubiquitous use of this search engine since has seen the word "Google" eventually become a verb. Want to know something? Google it. Employers now Google potential employees, and potential employees now Google prospective employers. -
Facebook launches
Initially developed for Harvard students, then expanding to include all students, then opening the proverbial doors to anyone with an email address, Facebook has changed our personal and professional lives (Phillips, 2007). Aside from researching potential employees, employers of all types have embraced the notion of social media as a marketing and recruiting tool and have a presence on many platforms. -
Stock market crashes
The Dow Industrial Jones fell nearly 778 points, which was (at the time) the most significant drop for a single day. The causes for the crash were many and had been accumulating for years, particularly related to mortgage lending practices. The final straw, however, was Congress's refusal to pass a bank bailout bill (Amadeo, 2019). During the recession, employers and employees felt the reverberations of this in the loss of jobs, benefits (i.e., retirement), etc. -
Minimum wage increases
The federal minimum wage increased to $7.25. The rate remains the same to date. Cities and states can opt to increase the minimum wage locally. Currently, 29 states have minimum wages higher than the federal rate (Yellin & Houp, 2019). The minimum wage has not kept pace with the growth of the economy, forcing low-wage workers to take on additional jobs or work longer hours. -
Affordable Care Act takes effect
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was intended to make healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, either through Medicaid expansion, workplace benefits, or private insurance. Those who purchased health insurance would receive tax breaks; those who did not would be penalized. Employers with 50 or more employees were required to offer health benefits (Cigna, 2018). -
Marriage equality comes to US
With the SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges, marriage equality became legal (CNN Library, 2019). Public sector employers were now required to extend spousal benefits (primarily health insurance) to employees now capable of acquiring marriages recognized by the federal government. Accessing such benefits, however, required employees disclose their sexual orientation to coworkers (who handle benefits), which became risky in states with no employment protections for LGBTQ individuals.