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Michael Dell designs PC's Limited's first computer.
PC's Limited eventually became Dell (Computer History Museum, n.d.). Dell Computers are some of the most prevalent computers which are found in offices across the nation. The use of computers in business has expedited many processes and shifted how technology is used to complete job duties. -
The first version of Microsoft Windows released.
The first version of Microsoft Windows was released. One notable feature of Windows 1 was its reliance on the mouse before it was commonly utilized (Gibbs, 2014). Microsoft Windows and it's related software became staples for organizations for their computer operating systems, word processing, and email functions. -
American with Disabilities Act becomes law.
The American with Disabilities Act became law in 1990. Through this act, individuals with disabilities were protected from discrimination in the workplace, public services, accommodations, and telecommunications (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). Organizations were now responsible for meeting reasonable accommodations for both employees and customers. This act helped diversify the work environment and make it more inclusive to all individuals. -
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) signed into law by President Clinton.
In order to accommodate that both parents are now in the workforce, President Clinton signed FMLA into law. FLMA allows for job protection for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave due to significant medical conditions for the employee or to care for an immediate family member. This is significant because it is the only federal law that helps balance employee responsibilities at home and work (Glynn, 2013). Employers were now faced with how to cover employee duties during FMLA protected absences. -
The first smart phone was released.
IBM released the Simon Personal Communicator. Simon was an early version of the smartphone which had email and limited touchscreen functionality. Web browsing was not available on this phone (Jackson, 2018). IBM's Simon was the first step in changing technology in how cellular phones impacted business. Allowing work to be taken care of remotely, immediately, and at all hours of the day no matter location. -
September 11th Terrorist Attacks
The terrorist attacks on September 11th lead to quite a few events that impacted organizations over time. Organizations began to place a focus on safety planning. Additionally, the attacks contributed to deepening the economic recession. Another factor involved the War on Terror which created military deployments of employees being called to active duty and increated military spending (Amadeo, 2019). -
The social media format Twitter released.
While many other forms of social media are out there, Twitter is a quick way for users to interact with businesses, organizations, and individuals (McFadden, 2018). Over time, users have utilized Twitter to quickly and publically express their dissatisfaction with businesses and customer service. Organizations have responded by utilizing the technology for unique marketing opportunities and following up quickly on customer concerns. -
The Affordable Care Act singed into law.
One of the most contested areas between Democrats and Republicans is the Affordable Care Act which was signed into law in 2010 by President Obama. The intent of ACA was to expand coverage and control costs. Through this, comes benefits for individuals at a potential increased cost to employers or those individuals subject to the tax penalty for not qualifying insurance. -
Yahoo data breach impacted over 3 billion accounts.
While not reported until years later, in 2013 Yahoo had over 3 billion accounts hacked where personal data such as passwords, addresses, and dates of birth were stolen. This is the largest known security breach (Stempel & Finkel, 2017). Data breaches such as these impact organizations through liability and economic impact. Breaches also result in new information technology security measures for organizations. -
Same Sex Marriage Legalized
The Supreme Court issued a ruling which made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states (Chappell, 2015). The ruling provided the legal right to members of the LGBTQ community to marry. Through this decision, organizations were now required by law to provide the same benefits for same-sex spouses as other employees received. -
Millennials became the largest generation in the work force.
With many of the Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, Millennials became the largest generational population in the workforce at 35% (Fry, 2018). Millennials will impact the workforce with their reliance on technology, desire immediate results, and that fact that they are believed to transition jobs more frequently than previous generations. -
#metoo movement begins
In response to reports of some high profile sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, actress Alyssa Milano is credited with starting the #metoo movement. Milano posted "me too" on twitter and encouraged others who have been victims of sexual violence or harassment to do so also. By the second day, over a half million people had used the hashtag (Wunsch, 2018). The #metoo movement brought awareness to organizations and strengthened responses from organizations regarding allegations