Coronavirus Update 1-5-22: What the hell is the CDC doing?
Confused by the CDC's changed guidance on when employees can break isolation? I'm here to help.
The 1st nominee for the “Worst Employer of 2022” is … the crashing chief
By Jon Hyman
Another year, another batch of awful employers for your consideration and your year-end voting. Might as well start off big. Ogden boss alle...
Coronavirus Update 1-3-22: Happy 2020 … too 😞
By Jon Hyman
As we start 2022 (HNY!) let's jump in the time machine and look ahead a couple of weeks to what I think is in our immediate pandemic fut...
’Twas the Employment Law Night Before Christmas (2021 edition)
By Jon Hyman
In what has become an annual tradition for my final post of the year, I bring you the holiday classic, 'Twas the Employment Law Night Be...
Announcing The Worst Employer of 2021 🏆
By Jon Hyman
The ballots have been cast. The votes have been tabulated. The results have been certified. It's now my honor to announce the Worst Empl...
Coronavirus Update 12-21-2021: Employers are starting to get real about vaccinated workforces
By Jon Hyman
Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the Covid-19 vaccine being administered in the United States. Yet, here are some headlines from...
Coronavirus Update 12-20-21: OSHA’s “vax or test" mandate is back on … for now
By Jon Hyman
OSHA is gratified the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit dissolved the Fifth Circuit’s stay of the Vaccination and Testing Emergenc...
BREAKING NEWS: 6th Circuit dissolves stay and re-starts OSHA’s vax-or-test emergency standard
By Jon Hyman
In a 2-1 decision, the 6th Circuit has dissolved the 5th Circuit’s prior stay of the OSHA vax-or-test emergency temporary standard. The opin...
WIRTW #608: the “back and forth” edition
By Jon Hyman
Before we get to the links of others that you might have missed this past week, I thought it best to look back on my own links that you also...
Coronavirus Update 12-16-2021: Who peed in the 6th Circuit’s cornflakes?
By Jon Hyman
Yesterday, the 6th Circuit issued its first substantive opinion in the consolidated case that will determine the legality of OSHA vax-or-te...
Tragic workplace emergency safety lessons from a candle factory
By Jon Hyman
Thus far, eight employees have tragically died inside the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory from the tornado that tore through Mayfi...
Who are this year’s crop of nominees for The Worst Employer of 2021? Check out today’s episode of Hostile Work Environment to find out.
By Jon Hyman
I had the pleasure of guesting on this week's episode of my favorite employment law podcast, Hostile Work Environment , hosted by my goo...
Coronavirus Update 12-14-2021: 800,000 Covid deaths and rising, and many have stopped caring
By Jon Hyman
"Where I Live, No One Cares About COVID," reads the headline in The Atlantic . Outside the world inhabited by the professional an...
VOTE for The Worst Employer of 2021
By Jon Hyman
Today is the day you’ve waited for all year. I’ve made my list. I’ve checked it twice. It’s voting day for The Worst Employer of 2021. Here’...
WIRTW #607: the “broken record” edition
By Jon Hyman
Earlier this week a local hospital system held a webinar entitled, COVID-19: Omicron, Vaccines, and Anti-Virals . The news is sobering. Cov...
Coronavirus Update 12-9-2021: The current state of vaccine mandate litigation
By Jon Hyman
What is the current state of the Biden Administration's three separate federal Covid-19 vaccination mandates, and how should employers b...
The 15th nominee for the “Worst Employer of 2021” is … the (Not) Better Boss
By Jon Hyman
A little over a week ago Better.com — a digital mortgage lender that Forbes.com recently called a $7.7 billion Unicorn — received a $750...
The Norah and Dad Show podcast is live and ready for your downloads
By Jon Hyman
Today is a very exciting day for me. Today is the official launch of The Norah and Dad Show podcast. It started a month or so ago when Nora...
Coronavirus Update 12-6-2021: Masks — the results
By Jon Hyman
On Friday, I asked three simple questions — Do you still wear a maks? If yes, when? If not, why? Here are the results (and thank you to the ...
WIRTW #606: the “masks” edition
By Jon Hyman
Today is Day 632 of the COVID-19 pandemic, and somehow we are still debating the efficacy of masks. While we ride out the current wave of De...
Coronavirus Update 12-2-2021: Repeat after me — anti-vax legislation WILL NOT fix workforce shortages
By Jon Hyman
Meet Rep. Al Cutrona , a first-term member of Ohio's House of Representatives, and a Republican who describes himself as "Pro-Const...
Coronavirus Update 12-1-2021: Other federal vaccine mandates fall (for now)
By Jon Hyman
In the past several days, two federal vaccine mandates have been preliminarily enjoined, joining the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard on th...
Work-life balance vs. Antiwork
By Jon Hyman
Compare the following. From CNN — "In Portugal, it's now illegal for your boss to call outside work hours." -vs- From the Ant...
Coronavirus Update 11-29-2021: What we do know and don’t know about Omicron
By Jon Hyman
While we digested our Thanksgiving turkey, news broke about a new COVID-19 variant making its way around the world — B.1.1.529, now official...
Happy Thanksgiving. What are you #thankful for?
By Jon Hyman
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. And it's not just the turkey, stuffing, and pies (especially the pies). It's the pe...
It’s a bad idea — and age discrimination — to badger an older employee about retirement
By Jon Hyman
A new manager takes away a pet project from a long-term 60-year-old employee, repeatedly asks him when he's "going to retire,"...
WIRTW #605: the “Norah and Dad show” edition
By Jon Hyman
I'm starting a podcast. Correction. We are starting a podcast. The other half of the "we" in question is my 15-year-old daught...
John Oliver’s exposé on "union busting” missed one key fact — the unions are actually WINNING
By Jon Hyman
This past Sunday night, John Oliver closed his 2021 season with a long-form exposé on labor unions . More specifically, he focused on the ef...
Coronavirus Update 11-17-2021: OSHA’s vax-or-test emergency standard is on life support
By Jon Hyman
Yesterday brought two huge developments in the battle over OSHA's vaccine-or-test emergency temporary standard. First, the conservativ...
The 14th nominee for the “Worst Employer of 2021” is … the Singing Supervisor
By Jon Hyman
You can tell by the smell that your girl's not doing well when the end of the month rolls along. You can tell by the stink that your gir...
Coronavirus Update 11-15-2021: Employers, DO NOT allow a law firm to charge you for their OSHA ETS compliant vaccine policy
By Jon Hyman
The following headline in my feed reader recently caught my attention: NOW AVAILABLE: Model Employment Policy for Compliance with OSHA’s Eme...
BREAKING NEWS: 5th Circuit issues new order continuing its stay of the OSHA vaccine-or-test ETS
By Jon Hyman
In a 22-page opinion issued last night that I can only describe as a scathing rebuke of OSHA's vaccine-or-test emergency temporary stan...
WIRTW #604: the “I promise I’m a real lawyer” edition
By Jon Hyman
The post was not meant to be controversial. Aaron Rogers admittedly lied about his vaccination status. I merely suggested that he not get a ...
Coronavirus Update 11-11-2021: Religious groups tell 5th Circuit that the OSHA vaccine mandate is a “sin against God"
By Jon Hyman
In a filing made with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the petition seeking to strike down OSHA's "vaccine or test...
Coronavirus Update 11-10-2021: Federal judge grants injunction victory to United on its vaccine mandates, but signals that this war is far from over
By Jon Hyman
A U.S. federal district court judge ruled that an employer can impose on its employees a Covid-19 vaccine mandate that provides unpaid leave...
Coronavirus Update 11-9-2021: White House tells employers to proceed with vaccine mandate despite 5th Circuit stay; I concur
By Jon Hyman
People should not wait. They should continue to move forward and make sure they’re getting their workplace vaccinated. – White House Deputy ...
Coronavirus Update 11-8-2021: Let’s talk about Aaron Rogers
By Jon Hyman
Last Wednesday, Aaron Rodgers, future Hall of Fame quarterback for the first-place Green Bay Packers, tested positive for Covid-19. This fac...
I did not lose on Jeopardy!
By Jon Hyman
The Final Jeopardy category is “Cybersecurity.” The answer: “The reason why it was not Jeopardy! Clue Crew member assistant director Sarah W...
WIRTW #603: the “Did anything happen yesterday?” edition
By Jon Hyman
Unless you've been living in a cave for the past 24 hours, you are well aware that OSHA released its vaccine-mandate emergency temporary...
BREAKING NEWS: OSHA publishes its vaccine-mandate emergency temporary standard
By Jon Hyman
Write down November 4, 2021, as the Employment Lawyer Superbowl. At 8:45 am this morning, OSHA published its Covid-19 Vaccination and Testin...
I lost on Jeopardy! A cybersecurity lesson on phishing scams
By Jon Hyman
It started innocently enough, with a tweet : "Please share your best strategies for finding a PS5 before Christmas that do not involve ...
The customer isn’t always right, especially when the customer wants you to discriminate
By Jon Hyman
"I'm afraid we can't hire you because you won't mix well with our customers." That's what the EEOC alleges a north...
Politics and work don’t mix: Southwest Airlines investigating pilot for “Let’s go Brandon” in-flight announcement
By Jon Hyman
Southwest Airlines is investigating one of its pilots for saying "Let's go Bradon" during an in-flight announcement. What is...
The 13th nominee for the “Worst Employer of 2021” is … the Abortion Forcer
By Jon Hyman
I literally have no words for this, the 13th nominee for the Worst Employer of 2021. Here's the headline, from NBC News : D.C. assistant...
WIRTW #602: the “Where’s the beef?” edition
By Jon Hyman
How'd your Wednesday go? Me? I got into a beef on Twitter with a fictional character, which ended with him telling me to go wax my head...
Coronavirus Update 10-28-2021: EEOC publishes its own internal Religious Accommodation Request form
By Jon Hyman
"Jon, we have so many employees asking us for religious accommodations from our workplace Covid rules, including our vaccine mandate. ...
Paid family and medical leave reportedly DROPPED from Biden’s economic plan
By Jon Hyman
I was so hopeful when I learned that Presiden Biden's economic plan included paid family and medical leave. Then we heard reports that t...
Coronavirus Update 10-27-2021: No, employers, you can’t fire employees who complain about Covid health and safety issues
By Jon Hyman
An employee sends this email to all of his coworkers: "It has come to my attention that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. I...
Coronavirus Update 10-26-2021: EEOC updated Covid-19 technical guidance to address religious vaccine objections
By Jon Hyman
Religious accommodations to vaccine mandates continue to be the number one issue occupying the time and energy of HR practitioners and emplo...
Coronavirus Update 10-25-2021: Lawsuits challenging employer vaccine mandates are borderline frivolous
By Jon Hyman
More than 130 employees of the City of Chicago have filed a lawsuit against their employer challenging its Covid-19 vaccine mandate. CNN ha...
WIRTW #601: the “What’s in your queue?” edition
By Jon Hyman
Ted Lasso has no new episodes until next August. I binged Squid Game a couple of weeks ago. I need something new to fill my nights on the ...
Coronavirus Update 10-21-2021: Nick Rolovich v. Pope Francis
By Jon Hyman
Compare the following two statements, and then let's talk. 1. "It is a tragic and damning commentary on our culture … that Coach Ro...
Coronavirus Update 10-20-2021: How to spot a fake vaccine card
By Jon Hyman
The NHL has suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane 21 games for violating the League's Covid-19 protocol. His offense: supplyin...
“Striketober” highlights union organizing concerns for Ohio craft breweries
By Jon Hyman
One of the unexpected byproducts of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is a corresponding rise in union organizing and other union-related activi...
Netflix’s termination of the organizer of a trans employee walkout very well might be legal
By Jon Hyman
Late Friday, The Verge reported that Netflix fired one of the leaders of an internal trans employee resource group who was organizing an em...
UPDATE: HIPAA (mis)information and the Covid vaccine
By Jon Hyman
Earlier this week I wrote about a national payroll provider that shared some very incorrect information about an employer’s HIPAA responsib...
WIRTW #600: the “Here, there, and every … where” edition
By Jon Hyman
This week I rejoined my good friends Marc Alifanz and Kate Bischoff on the Hostile Work Environment podcast to discuss the Season 2 finale...