WIRTW #468 (the “big in Japan” edition)

True story. While trekking between San Francisco’s Coit Tower and Lombard Street, we passed a group of Japanese tourists exiting their bus. One of girls, wearing a striped shirt sort of similar to Norah’s striped dress, asked if she could take a selfie with Norah. A little Puzzled and very curious, my wife asked, “Is it because you’re both wearing stripes?” “No,” she replied, “It’s because she’s so pretty.”

Somewhere in Japan, Norah has a fan club of a half-dozen girls, all with Norah selfies on their phones.

While I’m on the subject of Miss Norah, she has some pretty cool gigs coming up over the next two weeks.

• On August 3, her band, the Major Minors, plays The Grog Shop, opening for the national School of Rock AllStars. They hit at 7 pm, and tickets are only $10, available here.
• On August 5, the Major Minors again invade Whiskey Island, with music from 2 – 6 pm, and this show is free.
• Finally, on July 30, SoR Stronsgville holds its annual Parking Lot Show, previewing its summer shows, to include Donovan’s Beatles show and Norah’s punk show. Free music and not-free food trucks start at 1 pm.

Here’s what I read this week:

Discrimination

• Third Circuit: A single slur – just one bad word — can create a hostile work environment. — via Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
• Third Circuit on Hostile Work Environment (Is one “n-word” enough?) — via Phil Miles’s Lawffice Space
• Is “reverse discrimination” still a thing? — via Robin Shea’s Employment & Labor Insider
• Does Your Company Have an Anti-Harassment Policy for LGBT? — via In House
• Failure to Accommodate Employee Nuggets — via Bill Goren’s Understanding the ADA

Technology

• Why emoji in the workplace get a frowny face — via CBS Moneywatch
• I think an employee is sending nude Snapchats to his coworkers … with animal filters — via Ask a Manager
• Emails – An essential tool that can make you look like a fool — via BeLabor the Point
• IoT Security Incidents Rampant and Costly — via Dark Reading
• Cyber Threat Study: Employers Must Switch from Defense to Offense — via HR Daily Advisor
• Telework for the Future — via Workplace Prof Blog
• Can an app stop you from drinking on a work night? — via Engadget HD

HR & Employee Relations

• Telecommuting doesn’t always have to be seen as a reasonable accommodation — via Mike Haberman’s Omega HR Solutions
• The One Area of Connecticut Law Employers Love (For Now) — via Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
• Offices Can Be Bastions of Civility in an Uncivil Time and How to Handle Work When Your Child Is Sick — via Harvard Business Review
• Vacation Time for Exempt Employees — via Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas
• Gen Z Is Coming and They’ll Be Changing Your Culture Forever — via TLNT
• Separation Checklists are a Must! — via Workplace Insights
• New Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9 for 2017 — via Workology

Wage & Hour

• Manager Maude, Vol. I, No. 5 — via Four Peaks Advisors
• Court Says Uber Drivers Can Proceed With National Misclassification Class Action — via Gig Employer Blog
• Money for Nothing! Court Allows Employees to Pursue Lawsuit Despite DOL Settlement — via The Wage and Hour Litigation Blog
• FMLA FAQ: Can a Chiropractor Certify FMLA Leave? And Are There Limits? — via Jeff Nowak’s FMLA Insights

Labor

• NLRB Nominees Hate Puppies & Rainbows, Dems Claim — via Who Is My Employee?
• House Committee Seeks to Force the NLRB to Jettison “Indirect Control” Standard in Determining Joint Employer Status — via Management Memo
• En Banc Eighth Circuit Reverses National Labor Relations Board’s “Sick Day” Jimmy John’s Decision — via Labor Relations Today
• Jimmy John’s Fired Workers for Making a ‘Disloyal’ Meme. A Court Just Ruled That’s Okay. — via Workplace Fairness
• Two of the Craziest Labor Stories You’ll Ever Read — via LaborPains.org

OSHA & Safety

• Ohio Factor Dinged for Machine Hazards — via Joe’s HR and Benefits Blog
• OSHA Fall Protection Rule Raises Questions Over ‘Temporary, Relatively Infrequent’ Work — via OSHA Law Blog
• BWC Update: Rebates, True-ups, and Future Dating — via Ohio Chamber Blog

And now, this (h/t Ed Sotelo for reminding me of this classic episode of The Simpsons):