Ver la versión en español aquí Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions: to lose weight, quit smoking, stop procrastinating, and so on. With a week left in this very eventful year for employers, now is a great time to look back at the year we’ve had with an eye toward the challenges and concerns … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí As I sit here watching professional wrestling with my son, it hits me. Vincent Kennedy McMahon, the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, is a genius. First, Mr. McMahon has kept me interested in staged fights (with predetermined outcomes) for the majority of my life. Second, I marvel at how … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí What do forgetfulness, menstrual cramps and temper tantrums have in common? They are all symptoms of new mental health disorders recognized in the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a handbook widely used by health care professionals to assess and diagnose mental disorders. … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Employers have fairly wide discretion in terms of developing work rules designed to increase productivity and decrease time spent “slacking off.” But, if you believe the reports, one Chicago-based company may have gone too far. Apparently, WaterSaver Faucet Company has been experiencing a decrease in employee productivity. The perceived … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí The explosion in popularity of social media has, in my opinion, been a blessing and a curse for businesses. On the one hand, social media helps businesses market products and services, and reach-out to current and potential customers, with relative ease and little cost. On the other hand, social … Continue Reading
I wish I had $5 for every time I hear an employer say, “Florida is a right-to-work state, so doesn’t that mean I can terminate an employee for any reason?” Well, sort of, but you have confused the concepts of “right to work” and “at will” employment. Meaning of “Right to Work State” When we … Continue Reading
Kudos to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who, like a true HR professional, fined Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling $2.5 million and banned Sterling for life from the NBA. The punishment came last week on the heels of a leaked audio recording in which Sterling is heard scolding V. Stiviano, Sterling’s “personal assistant” (code name … Continue Reading
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has decided not to seek U.S. Supreme Court review of two U.S. Court of Appeals decisions invalidating the NLRB’s Notice Posting Rule. As you may recall, the rule would have required most private sector employers to post a notice notifying employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations … Continue Reading
An Administrative Law Judge of the National Labor Relations Board has once again weighed in on acceptable attire in the workplace. The Judge decided that an employer improperly disciplined a union employee for wearing a t-shirt that had the word “slave” along with a picture of a ball and chain. The decision follows on the … Continue Reading
Earlier this week, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) poster rule. In 2011, the NLRB issued a rule requiring private employers (union and non-union) to post a specific notice informing employees of their right to unionize under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). See … Continue Reading
Employers, union and non-union alike, have been spinning their wheels every time the NLRB comes out with a new case, general counsel memorandum or advice memorandum slamming a generally accepted employment policy. This past year, we have seen the NLRB take on social media policies, collective action waivers, at-will disclaimers and confidentiality rules. This time, … Continue Reading
Am I the only blogger who has a problem with social media? My twelve year old is addicted to his smart phone and Instagram. I constantly get poked from Facebook users. I read with dismay how administrative law judges interpreting the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) have invalidated employers’ efforts to place some limits on … Continue Reading
This summer, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) highlighted its position that confidentiality rules and at-will employment disclaimers routinely promulgated by employers may violate the federal labor law. The NLRB held that a generalized directive to employees not to discuss matters under investigation with co-workers interfered with the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). The NLRB … Continue Reading
For over 30 years, the federal courts in Florida (and in other states) have required that settlements of minimum wage and overtime claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) be reviewed and approved either by a court or the US Department of Labor. Now, one court, the Fifth Circuit Court Of Appeals, the federal … Continue Reading
If you are a non union employer be afraid – be very afraid. Take a look at the NLRB’s new web page that highlights cases where the Board thought that the activity engaged in by the employee was protected under federal labor law, http://www.nlrb.gov/concerted-activity. The cases involve both union and non-union employers because the concept of … Continue Reading
The National Labor Relations Board Acting General Counsel Lafe E. Solomon issued his third report on employees’ social media use on May 30. We previously blogged about the first report (see NLRB Issues Guidance on Social Media Policies) and several other NLRB cases involving social media. This recent report focuses on the lawfulness of several … Continue Reading
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently let stand a decision of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the Board) on whether a property owner can bar employees of an onsite contractor from distributing union-related handbills on the property. The case, New York-New York, LLC v. NLRB, has been … Continue Reading
We have been commenting on the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) recent decisions on the lawfulness of social media policies. An NLRB Administrative Law Judge recently struck down a portion of a company’s social media policy that prohibited employees from commenting on work-related legal matters without the express permission of the company’s legal department. The … Continue Reading
On January 3, 2012, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in D.R. Horton, Inc., that requiring employees, as a condition of employment, to sign an arbitration agreement prohibiting them from filing collective or class actions for employment-related claims violates the law. The decision involved an overtime case brought by Michael Cuda against his employer, … Continue Reading
On August 26, our colleague Lisa Berg posted an article on the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) new rule requiring employees (union and non-union) to post a notice informing employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act, including the right to organize a union, form, join, or assist a union, bargain collectively, discuss … Continue Reading
On August 26, our colleague Lisa Berg posted an article on the National Labor Relation Board’s (NLRB) new rule requiring employees (union and non-union) to post a notice informing employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act, including the right to organize a union, form, join, or assist a union, bargain collectively, discuss … Continue Reading
I’m no beer aficionado but every now and then I enjoy a Purple Haze, an American-style wheat beer from a microbrewery just outside of New Orleans. What employers will probably not enjoy is the National Labor Relations Board’s (“Board”) recent ruling, in Specialty Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of Mobile, making it easier for unions to … Continue Reading
The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) filed a complaint against the Boeing Company in April based on Boeing’s decision to open a second assembly line to build its Dreamliner airplanes in a non union plant in South Carolina instead of expanding its current assembly line in a union plant in Washington State (see NLRB v. … Continue Reading
On August 25, 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a Final Rule that requires employers subject to the NLRB’s jurisdiction (union and nonunion) to post a notice notifying employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The notice, which must be posted by November 14, 2011, will inform employees of their … Continue Reading
