I guess I’m the Rolling Stones of legal bloggers. Yesterday, the ABA Journal inducted me into its Blawg 100 Hall of Fame, in the fourth year the magazine has bestowed such an honor. It also marks my sixth consecutive (and last) honor in the Blawg 100. As a Hall of Famer, I’m required to stand aside for future Blawg 100 lists to make room for new blood.
The first six months of the NLRB’s ambush election rules have resulted in one expected result and one unexpected result.
On the expected front, the median time from the filing of a representation petition to the holding of an election has dropped nearly 40 percent, from 38 days to 23 days.
What is the unexpected result?
In my never-ending quest to turn my legal blog into a promotional blog for my daughter’s nascent music career, I bring you the debut performance of this year’s School of Rock Jr. Headliners — Sunday, December 6, from 4 to 8 pm, at Coda (a new, and supposed very cool, music venue owned by Cleveland chef and restaurateur Dante Boccuzzi).
For the uninitiated, the Jr. Headliners is SoR’s audition-only band for kids 8th grade and under (there is another Headliner band for high schoolers, which will also be on the bill). Norah earned her spot on her vocal chops.
Here’s a tease from the band’s “preview” performance at SoR’s annual Halloween bash — Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl.
My standing offer is still good. If you’re at the gig, say hi, and mention the blog, your next drink of choice is on me.
Here’s the rest of what I read this week:
At the beginning of 2015, I reported on the launch of a new app — Memo — which allowed employees to post anonymous comments or complaints about their workplaces. Microsoft has now joined the fray of workplace griping apps with one of its own, called Forum.
According to the app’s description, it “lets ideas thrive, facilitates open dialogue within organizations, and enables employees to freely express themselves.” More importantly, unlike Memo, Forum appears to be non-anonymous. From iMore: “Forum has apparently been designed primarily for businesses to give their employees a chance to speak their minds and connect with their fellow workers and executives.”
Two and a half years ago I asked, How much does it cost to defend an employment lawsuit? My answer:
The reality is that defending a discrimination or other employment lawsuit is expensive. Defending a case through discovery and a ruling on a motion for summary judgment can cost an employer between $75,000 and $125,000.
Oh, how I love to be right.
On September 30, the Ohio House passed the Fair Hiring Act, which would prohibit the State of Ohio from including on any employment application for a state job any question concerning the criminal background of the applicant. The measure is now being considered by Ohio’s Senate, which is separately considering a different bill that would apply the same prohibition to all Ohio employers, public and private.  |
| Photo by Jon Hyman, 8/6/15 |
