Since 1988, we’ve sent you the ILS News Digest to keep you informed on whatever was happening in the world of work. Every issue tried to capture the special events, the new ideas and the dynamics occurring in our work environment. Those years of keeping in touch were rewarding ones. The Digest was our way of making workers and employers aware of labor and employment issues and the policy and program responses that came into play. It was our venue for letting you know of research results in a concise form. It was also our feedback tool for issues and ideas that were at the core of policy work at the Department of Labor of Employment. The same reasons still inspire us today. However, times have changed and so must the way we get in touch with you.

Information is no longer a luxury enjoyed by a few. You can get the news anywhere and anyway you want it. It can be had 24/7 via TV and radio, the broadsheet, the tabloids, your mobile phone, the Internet, the company bulletin board, and even your workplace grapevine. A century ago, that was just a dream. Today, it is a fact.     

The same fact urged us to think where in this information-rich world does the ILS News Digest figure? We mulled this over and realized that we cannot just be news-bearers. There are more than enough of them and they make sure that the news arrives on time.  We pondered further and found that a new door has opened for us. We can spur you to read between the lines of the news. 

Work Lens is all about that.  We have feature articles that take a closer look into current work issues, explore varying perspectives, and present policy options for your feedback.  This first issue has in-depth stories that humanize, add color, educate, entertain or illuminate situations in the field of labor and employment. Because information has made everyone a source for creative ideas, the magazine also showcases innovative approaches to issues at the workplace. Of course, we brought along the sections “Under the Gavel” and “Labor Clip” from the ILS News Digest so that you’ll still have your dose of case digests and trivia.     

With this issue, join us as we salute the 18 years of the ILS News Digest and welcome the Worklens!