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What was meant to be an internal memo written by a male engineer at Google hit the internet in a big way in early August, igniting controversy that led to the employee’s firing and much discussion about the effectiveness of corporate diversity efforts. The now-infamous memo raises questions on many fronts. Among them: Does it […]
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!” That’s essentially what a group of Teamsters told Top Chef host personality Padma Lakshmi back in June 2014 outside of Steel & Rye restaurant in Milton, Massachusetts. This “episode” is now at the center of a lawsuit brought by the federal government against four […]
Many employers saw their ranks diminished on February 16 as a host of employees stayed away from work in support of the nationwide “A Day Without Immigrants” campaign. Employers are likely to see that situation repeated as more protests are scheduled for the coming months. A walkout to support “A Day Without a Woman” is […]
Surveillance cameras have become so common that people barely notice them even when they’re in plain sight. Cameras frequently hum at traffic signals, parking lots, stores, even offices and factory floors. They’re not always obvious, though. Employers may want to use hidden cameras to secretly monitor workers–especially if workers are suspected of misconduct and the […]
by Judith E. Kramer and Sean D. Lee With the election of Donald Trump, there is no question that there will be upheaval in many areas of the law. Even in the discrete area of labor and employment law, the prognostications could fill many blog posts. In this article, we focus on the employment-related Executive […]
by Courtney Bru None of us were immune from this year’s presidential election dynamics. Disrespect and name-calling have seemed more prevalent than policy discussions. The election was highly polarizing, potentially pitting employee against employee. In the midst of it all, employees were often misinformed about their “free speech rights” in the workplace. A recent instance from Georgia […]
What if you had an employee who apparently showed up to work drunk and then loudly swore at a coworker within earshot of customers? Would you: (A) fire the employee on the spot, (B) investigate and then terminate if evidence shows the accusations are likely true, or (C) let it go to prevent the employee […]
In recent years, business relationships have increased in complexity. So, among all the independent contractors, franchises, joint ventures, and internships, just who is an employee? And which company—or companies—is the employer? Federal and state regulators are taking a new look at those questions and responding with new interpretations and new regulations. The federal government, in […]
by Holly K. Jones, J.D. Picture it—it’s a Friday afternoon at the end of a very long week, and just as you are about to sneak out early for the weekend, one of your employees walks into your office wearing a camouflage trucker hat emblazoned with the words “Make America Great Again.” Oh perfect, you […]
by Jonathan R. Mook News reports of yet another workplace shooting have become all too frequent in our media-saturated world. The seemingly constant reports of shootings makes clear to all employers the inconvenient truth that no workplace is totally immune from the possibility that a violent incident will occur. Indeed, according to the federal Occupational […]