Waxing philosophical: workplace speech vs. anti-discrimination law
Federal anti-discrimination laws protect people, not the content of their speech. Amy Wax, a Penn law professor (who, frankly, should have k...
WIRTW #770: the 'season 4' edition
By Jon Hyman
This week marks the launch of season 4(!) of The Norah and Dad Show podcast. Norah and I chat about our summer, which included a trip to Bo...
Marijuana legalization ≠ job protection
By Jon Hyman
In Flannery v. Peco Foods , the 8th Circuit just provided a sharp reminder of how far the gap can be between what's "legal" fo...
Defending the "kitchen sink" discrimination lawsuit
By Jon Hyman
Arnett Moore, a 51-year-old Baptist Black man, worked as a Division Manager for Avon. When Avon restructured, the company compared the perfo...
WIRTW #769: the 'slavery' edition
By Jon Hyman
Donald Trump wants to make slavery great again. In a rant on Truth Social, he fumed: "The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everyth...
🚨 The Fifth Circuit Just Took Aim at the NLRB – And Potentially Every Federal Agency 🚨
By Jon Hyman
This week, the Fifth Circuit handed down a decision in SpaceX v. NLRB that could fundamentally alter how federal labor law—and much of the ...
The 8th nominee for The Worst Employer of 2025 is … The Gender Corroborator
By Jon Hyman
Policies on paper don't protect people. Training does. And this Buffalo Wild Wings location failed… spectacularly. In April, 18-year-old...
Your contracts are a culture test
By Jon Hyman
Contracts are a culture test. This winery failed. This summer, my daughter, a singer/songwriter, had a contract to perform four gigs at a lo...
Appeal court guts protections against customer harassment
By Jon Hyman
Thanks to the 6th Circuit , customer-facing employees are now a whole lot less safe at work. Dorothy Bivens worked as a sales rep for Zep, I...
When your supervisor flips to Team Union…
By Jon Hyman
Rising Star Coffee Roasters is in the middle of a full-blown labor meltdown —protests, police, firings, a closed store. And right in the thi...
WIRTW #768: the 'Peniche' edition
By Jon Hyman
If you find yourself traveling through Portugal, don't overlook Peniche . This coastal town—set on a peninsula that juts into the Atlant...
It's wrong. It should have never been said. But is it illegal discrimination?
By Jon Hyman
"Old man, you been here longer than I've been alive. Are you ready to retire?" Kenneth Lowe had worked at Walbro for over 40 y...
🚨 You can't ask that: Disability questions in hiring 🚨
By Jon Hyman
Yesterday, a commenter noted on LinkedIn that many individuals with disabilities suffer in silence at work because they're afraid to di...
Just because an employee says he has a disability doesn't mean he actually does
By Jon Hyman
The University of Nebraska fired James Trambly, an IT support specialist, for violating university policy by removing a hard drive from a un...
WIRTW #767: the 'cerveja' edition
By Jon Hyman
When part of your business involves providing legal representation to craft breweries , even vacation means finding a beer garden where you ...
Breaking down the proper way to handle an extended medical leave of absence
By Jon Hyman
I spend a lot of time calling out employers who mishandle workplace issues. Today, I'm highlighting one that got it right. Leanna Coffma...
The Feds say that proselytizing at work is okay, but it shouldn't be
By Jon Hyman
"The power of Christ compels you!" … could soon be coming to a workplace near you. The Trump administration has issued new guidanc...
The 6 hard truths of litigation
By Jon Hyman
I pay my mortgage and my kids' school tuition thanks to how long lawsuits take and how expensive they are. Still, we need to have a fran...
WIRTW #766: the 'empathy' edition
By Jon Hyman
Forty years ago this week, the world came together. On July 13, 1985, Live Aid united millions across borders—not out of politics, but out o...
Strollers and stouts can coexist: making the case for family-friendly breweries
By Jon Hyman
There's a growing trend in craft beer: no kids allowed. Forest City Brewery , for example, recently banned guests under 16. They cite t...