This Week in Business: Medical Device, Huawei and More

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medical device

More Than One Million Medical Device Units Recalled in Q1

More than one million Class I medical device units were recalled in the first quarter of the year, according to the Stericycle Expert Solutions Recall index.

A Class I recall, according to the Law Office of Matthew L. Sharp, indicates a situation in which the product poses a significant potential risk of injuries, health problems or death.

Quality was one of the top issues of the recalled medical device units , accounting for 51.2%. It’s the first time since 2016 in which quality issues were the most common.

Overall, product recalls declined across all industries.

Huawei’s Business at Stake

Chinese technology firm Huawei’s $105 billion business is at risk after the Trump administration said it would add the company and 70 affiliates to its Entity List.

The move will likely prohibit the firm from purchasing U.S. components and technology without getting approval from the government.

The ban is not yet effective.

The Trump administration placed a similar ban on ZTE Corp, another Chinese firm. The move almost crippled the business before the ban was lifted.

At minimum, the ban would likely disrupt Huawei’s business. At the extreme end, it would all but put the firm out of business. U.S. suppliers would also be hit.

U.S. companies will also face the risk of severe retaliation from China.

Amazon to Pay Workers to Quit and Start Their Own Delivery Business

Amazon Inc. is now working towards giving Prime members one-day shipping. In order to meet demands, the company is encouraging its employees to quit and start their own delivery businesses.

The company announced a new incentive program on Monday, which would provide $10,000 in start-up costs and cover three months of pay to employees who make the move to start their own delivery service.

The former employees will also receive a steady stream of packages to deliver. They will also gain access to technology and training, insurance discounts, and Amazon-branded uniforms and vans.

The newly-announced incentives build on a previous program that encouraged employees to get into the last-mile package delivery business.

Amazon has come under fire lately over its treatment and pay of employees. The company announced last October that it would increase its minimum wage for employees to $15 per hour.

The announcement of the incentive program comes as Amazon invests more heavily into offering one-day shipping to Prime members. The goal is to combat the slowing membership growth of the company’s $119-per-year program.

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