WIRTW #747: the 'tariffs' edition
The Trump administration just announced new tariffs on aluminum and steel. That might not sound like a big deal to most, but for small busi...
The attack on DEI does not mean employers must or should eliminate anti-harassment training
By Jon Hyman
Even as some push back forcefully against DEI workplace initiatives, courts are pushing back even harder. Consider these excerpts from Dieme...
Protecting the rule of law
By Jon Hyman
"Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power." — Vice President JD Vance We need to talk about the r...
How to respond to the Justice Department's DEI hitlist
By Jon Hyman
"The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division will investigate, eliminate, and penalize illegal DEI and DEIA preferences, mand...
WIRTW #746: the 'fly, eagles fly' edition
By Jon Hyman
All-Pro Reels , CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Are you ready for the Big Game? As a Philly native and die-hard Eagles fan, I sure am! ...
What the EEOC just said—and didn't say—about the current state of workplace right
By Jon Hyman
"The EEOC is open for business." That's what the agency just declared in a series of frequently asked questions about the imp...
What hiring and employment look like without DEI
By Jon Hyman
What does a country without DEI look like? Some people say that's what they want. No more diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives i...
The dos and don't of workplace AI policies
By Jon Hyman
According to a recent BBC article , half of all workers use personal generative AI tools (like ChatGPT) at work—often without their employer...
We cannot simply oblish OSHA
By Jon Hyman
"The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 repealed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is abolished." That...
WIRTW #745: the 'biliterate' edition
By Jon Hyman
Until this week, I thought being bilingual meant fluency in a second language—the ability to read, write, listen, and speak with ease. I was...
Microagressions as an adverse action
By Jon Hyman
A "microaggression" is a subtle, often unintentional comment or action that conveys bias or discrimination against a marginalized ...
Trump illegally guts the EEOC of its Democratic members
By Jon Hyman
Remember last week when I told you that Trump would try to dismantle all of our federal workplace discrimination laws? Well, the first shoe ...
Missing time sheets doom employee's overtime claim
By Jon Hyman
One of the most challenging tasks is proving a negative. Yet, this is precisely the problem employers face when defending wage-and-hour case...
Taking from your employees' tip pool? It's illegal
By Jon Hyman
It’s Dry January, and brewery owners are feeling the pinch. You might be tempted to supplement your income by dipping into your employees’ t...
Is Trump coming after Title VII next?
By Jon Hyman
"Dad, did Trump just get rid of workplace discrimination laws?" That's the question my daughter asked me yesterday. She was re...
WIRTW #744: the 'London Calling … the podcast' edition
By Jon Hyman
In the latest episode of The Norah and Dad Show, we recap our family Christmas holiday to London. Here are links to everything we mention in...
Neurodivergence is not an excuse for racism
By Jon Hyman
"He's on the spectrum" is not an excuse for racism. I've seen more than one person attempt to justify Elon Musk's Nazi...
A lesson on ADA compliance
By Jon Hyman
What happens when an employer fails to take an employee's disability seriously? It might look a lot like the case of Sutherland v. Peter...
WIRTW #743: the 'snowball at Santa' edition
By Jon Hyman
If your employee is caught in a viral video calling an opposing fan the "c-word" at a football game, should he lose his job? Does ...
SCOTUS eases burden of proof for employers in FLSA exemptions cases
By Jon Hyman
Big news for employers: The Supreme Court just made it easier to defend against Fair Labor Standards Act exemption claims by employees. In E...
An expensive lesson on pay-equity compliance
By Jon Hyman
Mastercard has agreed to pay $26 million to settle allegations that it systematically underpaid thousands of female, Black, and Hispanic emp...
This is how NOT to respond to employee complaints
By Jon Hyman
JP Morgan is making waves with its decision to bring employees back to the office five days a week starting in March. But what's making...
ADA covers more than those who are limited in their ability to work
By Jon Hyman
What happens when an employer ignores the definition of "disability" under the ADA? A lawsuit—and a lesson in what not to do. A re...
WIRTW #742: the 'london calling' edition
By Jon Hyman
"What do think about going to see an Arsenal match for Christmas?" That question—which my wife posed to me over a glass of wine a ...
The "R-word" is making a comeback
By Jon Hyman
According to Rolling Stone magazine , the "R-word" is making a comeback as part of a hard-right online trend using it to slander t...
Avoid "mommy-track" stereotypes with your female employees
By Jon Hyman
"If she returns…" That statement is among the allegations that Chloe Koprucki makes against her former employer, Broadridge Financ...
The 1st nominee for The Worst Employer of 2025 is … The Menstrual Marauder
By Jon Hyman
"We can't hire you. You'll be absent too much due to your monthly cycle." That's the text a job applicant received fro...
Costco's masterclass on responding to DEI backlash
By Jon Hyman
It's not easy to stand firm in today's polarized world, but Costco just showed everyone how it's done. Recently, Costco's bo...
’Twas the Employment Law Night Before Christmas (2024 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...
The Worst Employer of 2024 is…
By Jon Hyman
The votes have been counted. The WINNER of The Worst Employer of 2024 is...
6th Circuit teaches employers an important FMLA lesson on caregiving and in loco parentis
By Jon Hyman
Imagine being told by your employer that you have to choose between your terminally ill sister and you job. That's what happened to Cele...
"RFK Jr.'s job application: part psych eval and all wrong
By Jon Hyman
"I don't have that much interest in having a sexual experience with another person." "I believe in things many others don...
WIRTW #741: the 'finals countdown' edition
By Jon Hyman
On this week's episode of The Norah and Dad Show , Norah and I discuss the end of her first semester of college, including her finals, o...
5 lessons from a poorly communicated layoff
By Jon Hyman
Imprint Beer Co. offers us a textbook lesson in how not to communicate layoffs to employees. The brewery recently announced mass layoffs and...
🚨 Vote for the Worst Employer of 2024 🚨
By Jon Hyman
It's the most wonderful time of the year! I've made my list, checked it twice, and now it's time to determine who's been the...
WIRTW #740: the 'roast' edition
By Jon Hyman
Among all of the things that ChatGPT can do, it's really, really good at roasting someone. So, I asked ChatGPT to roast my LinkedIn prof...
Buckeye of broken promises: OSU's trust fumble
By Jon Hyman
Ohio State University announced that it will rescind raises for 306 salaried employees, effective Jan. 1. Earlier this year, the university...
Precedent used to mean something
By Jon Hyman
"Supreme Court justices seldom get an opportunity to fix a botched decision. But as the Court takes up a transgender case, Associate Ju...
Lessons from a recent retaliation case
By Jon Hyman
Dr. Carla Campbell-Jackson, a Black woman with 30 flawless years working at State Farm, found herself out of a job after raising concerns ab...
📱 Apple’s BYOD lawsuit: a cautionary tale for employers
By Jon Hyman
A recent lawsuit filed by an Apple employee against the company highlights the risks of mishandling Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies. ...
Life without a Department of Labor isn't as efficient as some will tell you
By Jon Hyman
What happens if the Department of Labor vanishes? It's not some dystopian fantasy—it's an actual possibility under Elon Musk and Viv...
Leave us bald guys alone!
By Jon Hyman
This one hits close to home. In Tony Finn v. British Bung Company, a UK tribunal ruled that calling a man "bald" constitutes sexua...
WIRTW #739: the 'rage against the machine' edition
By Jon Hyman
In this week's episode of The Norah and Dad Show , my daughter and I discuss how we're feeling in the aftermath of the 2024 election...
DOL confirms the obvious — the FMLA covers time off spent in clinical trials
By Jon Hyman
Can employees use FMLA leave to participate in clinical trials for their serious health conditions? Of course, they can—how is this even a q...
"Biological Women Only" = "Whites Only" = Discrimination
By Jon Hyman
Can someone please explain the difference between labeling a women's restroom for "biological" women and labeling one for ...
New NLRB Ruling: Employer "captive-audience speeches" on unionization are now illegal
By Jon Hyman
In a significant decision, the NLRB ruled that requiring employees to attend anti-union meetings under the threat of discipline or terminati...
Background checks aren’t just a box to tick—they’re critical to any hiring process
By Jon Hyman
Picture this: a high-profile hire for one of the most important jobs in the world, and nobody bothered to run a background check. That’s rep...
WIRTW #738: the 'bluer skies' edition
By Jon Hyman
Do you ever think to yourself, "Jon, I love your posts, but what I really want is more of this, but with fewer characters." Well d...
Does civility still matter?
By Jon Hyman
Some apparently don't think civility matters any more. "Your body, my choice" signs are popping up across the country, while ...
Do you know what to do if ICE raids your business?
By Jon Hyman
With Donald Trump running on campaign promise of the mass roundup and deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, many businesses in...