Earned media best for driving purchases, consumers sour on social media, and IBM battles an age-bias lawsuit

Good morning, PR pros:

A US Foods survey of roughly 500 food delivery drivers and more than 1,500 consumers in the United States reveals that more than one in four delivery drivers (nearly 30%) eat items from customers’ orders before delivering them.

Asked whether they minded delivery drivers stealing their fries or other menu items, consumers’ average response notches an 8.4 out of 10 (with 10 being “absolutely unacceptable”).

The findings speak volumes about delivery apps’ contractor behavior and consumer trust. What discrepancies are there in your organization—and how can you work to eliminate them?

Here are today’s top stories:

In an ongoing age-discrimination case against IBM, the company’s former vice president of HR, Alan Wild, alleged it “laid off 50,000 to 100,00 employees in just the last several years”—specifically targeting older workers—in an effort to appeal to millennials and to compete against companies such as Amazon and Google.

IBM gave a brief response to reporters.

Bloomberg reported: