Management

The U.S. Labor Department said that it had opened two investigations into working conditions for foreign cultural-exchange students employed at a Hershey Co. candy warehouse in central Pennsylvania. At the same time, the organizations responsible for employing the students were seeking to resolve a standoff with them by offering a week's paid vacation and cultural-enhancing day trips to Philadelphia, Amish country, and Gettysburg.

As long as the NBA lockout is on, Boston Celtics guard Delonte West, may not have playing or coaching basketball in his future. Earlier this week, West tweeted that he was applying for a job at Home Depot, and the seven-year vet says that’s not the only retail job he’s looking into.

A 49-year-old man employed at an American Apparel factory in Garden Grove, Calif., was "crushed by a circular knitting machine," according to a report on the Orange County coroner's website.

Starbucks will pay $75,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed when a barista who has dwarfism was fired after asking for a stool. During Elsa Sallard's training in 2009, a manager decided that she would pose a danger to customer and employees and let her go. In addition to the settlement, Starbucks will provide training on disability issues to managers and supervisors at stores in El Paso, Texas.

Esprit is exploring the sale of its U.S. and Canadian operations, according to three people familiar with the matter. Rothschild in New York has been hired to advise Esprit, said the people, who declined to be identified because the process isn’t public. The assets are likely to be shown to a number of private-equity funds, said one of the people.

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino has something to say about retailer Abercrombie & Fitch’s offer to pay him to wear another brand’s clothing on “Jersey Shore.” “Looks like Abercrombie got themself into a Situation!” the MTV reality star tweeted, followed by a link to a CNN finance article noting that the brand’s stock had dipped by nine percent.

Sears Holdings announced that Robert Schriesheim will join the company as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Schriesheim will assume his responsibilities as CFO effective Aug. 22. Schriesheim, 51, most recently was CFO for Hewitt Associates, leading the company's global financial and administrative roles until its merger with Aon Corp.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway fund invested around $50 million in Dollar General during the quarter that ended June 30, federal filings show. The 1.5 million shares in the Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based discounter is a new holding for the fund, which also has investments in retailers Wal-Mart Stores and Costco.

Abercrombie & Fitch said it's concerned that having Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and his fellow "Jersey Shore" cast members seen in its clothing could cause "significant damage" to the company's image.

Wal-Mart is transferring management of its e-commerce business to store-level leadership in developed countries and said that two online executives are leaving the company.