WIRTW #761: the 'boss' edition
For over 50 years, Bruce Springsteen has been the voice of working people, dreamers, outcasts, and truth-tellers. His songs tell the story o...
Archive: May 2025
The fiduciary case for DEI
By Jon Hyman
Corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives are not just about social responsibility. They're also about business performance...
When rights collide: religious beliefs vs. gender identity in the workplace
By Jon Hyman
An employee tells HR, "I can't use my coworker's preferred pronouns. It's against my religion." What now? This isn...
DEI-washing
By Jon Hyman
Verizon just made headlines — by eliminating its entire DEI program. In a memo to the FCC, the company announced sweeping changes: NO DEI r...
WIRTW #760: the 'sportswashing' edition
By Jon Hyman
What do you know about "sportswashing"? If you're like me, it's very little. That is, until I asked ChatGPT. Sportswashing...
Brewing up a tipped wages nightmare
By Jon Hyman
Brewery owners: Let's talk why class-action lawyers are just as interested in your payroll practices as your flagship IPA. A new lawsuit...
Do not undervalue the importance of confidentiality in workplace investigations
By Jon Hyman
After a Costco employee filed a sexual harassment complaint, she and others were required to sign an "Acknowledgement of Confidentialit...
Federal court guts EEOC guidance on trans rights
By Jon Hyman
Federal court to SCOTUS: "We read your opinion, but we're going to pretend you didn't mean what you said." That's esse...
WIRTW #759: the 'HBD' edition
By Jon Hyman
🎉 My blog is officially an adult. Last week, it turned 18 years old. On May 9, 2007, I hit "publish" on my very first post. It wa...
Managing employees' food allergies and preferences in the workplace
By Jon Hyman
One employee is vegan. Another is allergic to shellfish. Another is lactose intolerant. Another has Celiac disease and can't eat gluten....
The Stanley Cup of social media screwups
By Jon Hyman
"Eat s--- 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until every last Hamas rat is eliminated." That's what Doug Ci...
Faith, fetus photos, fired: How Title VII grounded a Southwest termination
By Jon Hyman
"This is what you supported during your Paid Leave with others at the Women's MARCH in DC… You truly are Despicable in so many ways...
WIRTW #758: the 'craft' edition
By Jon Hyman
Ohio showed up and showed out at last week's World Beer Cup in Indianapolis. The World Beer Cup — the most prestigious beer competiti...
Your trade secrets just walked out the front door … and you might have held it open: Generative AI and trade secrets
By Jon Hyman
No employee—except the rare bad actor—means to leak sensitive company data. But it happens, especially when people are using generative AI t...
Corporate ethics start at the top
By Jon Hyman
Kohl’s just gave its CEO the boot for violating the company’s code of ethics. Why? Because he funneled business to a vendor run by someone h...
Don’t eat the chicken (yet): A lesson in workplace investigations from a Portuguese rooster
By Jon Hyman
In Portugal, one of the most iconic national symbols isn’t a monument or a monarch—it’s a rooster. The Galo de Barcelos. (Stay with me. This...
What do dolls have in common with beer?
By Jon Hyman
“Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30.” That was Donald Trump’s response yesterday when asked about the impact of tariffs on...
The 4th nominee for The Worst Employer of 2025 is … The Coercive Cult Leaders
By Jon Hyman
OneTaste, a San Francisco-based "wellness" company, claimed to offer empowerment through "orgasmic meditation." However,...