Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The COVID-19 situation has left us all scrambling to maintain our professional lives as much as possible. We’re coming up with alternate work situations: social distancing when we must be at work, working from home when we can, and stretching our resources and creativity when we must.
Series Litigation Value: various harassment, discrimination, and bizarre workers’ compensation matters = astronomical; future employment matters due to Dwight taking over as Regional Manager = enough to keep Dunder Mifflin’s attorneys busy for many years to come; seeing the older, hopefully wiser, family man version of Michael in the final episode = priceless. After years […]
Litigation Value: Office romance with the new Regional Manager (and A.A.R.M.) = fodder for a potential sexual harassment claim; eliminating nonsense from the workplace = every human resources manager’s dream; Dwight giving up a milk maid to marry his long-time love and father his beet-loving offspring = priceless. As John Krasinski explained in a recent […]
Litigation Value: None. I think The Office gods have been reading my blog entries and decided they’d give me an hour-long episode with very few legal issues. In last night’s episode, three main characters made significant career moves. Dwight received the manager promotion, Andy quit his job to pursue fame, and Jim decided to stay […]
Litigation Value: Possible workers’ comp claim for Dwight for injuries sustained in trying to cross a “flaccid cord”; groundwork established for a breach of contract suit by Nellie if Andy follows through on his intent to fire her Tonight’s “previously aired” episode takes us back to the first episode of this, the last season of […]
Litigation value: Stanley can sue Dwight blind for his bull dart assault. This is an employment law blog. So when tonight’s episode opened, and I saw that Dwight had shut down the building’s elevator for repair, leaving the stairwell as the only option to reach Dunder Mifflin’s offices, I thought it might be interesting to […]
Litigation Value: Michael’s Antics over the Years = Too Many Zeros to Count; Collateral Damage from the Dwight/Jim Feud over the Years = Some Unfortunate Workers’ Compensation Claims; Getting a Super-Sized Finale = Priceless. Given that my esteemed colleague, Jaclyn, has addressed the Moving On episode twice now, I thought I would focus on our upcoming finale. […]
Litigation Value: Frank can collect from Pam and Dwight the cost of cleaning paint off his truck. “Shouldn’t someone get fired for this?” That’s the question Pam asked while confronting the large orange butts that someone (Frank) spray-painted on her warehouse mural in “Vandalism,” the second of two new episodes tonight. Of course someone should get fired, […]
Litigation Value: Fire in the Hole prank = potential assault and battery charges for Dwight (not to mention the dry cleaning bill); Toby’s awkwardly affectionate overtures to Nellie = fodder for a potential hostile work environment claim against the Human Resources Manager; and using the Dunder Code to hunt for the fake holy grail = priceless. […]
Seriously, where is Andy Bernard? I’m worried about him. And his relationship with Erin. And Pete too. I’m not sure what a Pennsylvania court might say, but under Iowa law, Andy could presumably fire Pete simply because his girlfriend is attracted to him. See Nelson v. Knight (Iowa 2012) (dentist’s wife forced dentist to fire […]