Thursday, January 3, 2019

Do as they say, not as they do: employees accuse Planned Parenthood of pregnancy discrimination


According to a scathing report by The New York Times, employees nationwide are accusing Planned Parenthood of engaging in rampant pregnancy discrimination.

Some examples:

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

The 2nd nominee for the “worst employer of 2019” is … the little rascal racist


Welcome to 2019. New year, same old employers earning themselves nominations for my annual race to the bottom.

Darryl Robinson, the only African-American employee in his Marriott Vacations Worldwide office, claims he was subjected to repeated racial harassment during his 11 months of employment.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

'Twas the Employment Law Night before Christmas


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the office
Not a creature was stirring, well, just one of the bosses;
The bonuses were paid by the company with care,
In hopes that no ungrateful employees would swear.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Announcing THE WORST EMPLOYER OF 2018


The day has finally arrived. It’s time to announce the Worst Employer of 2018.

To remind you, we had four finalists in contention for this … (dis)honor:

  • The Murdering Manager — company owner hires two men to rough-up a handyman who was not doing his job, and they accidentally kill him.
  • The Sexist, Racist, Xenophobic, Oh My! — plant manager calls foreign-born employees "terrorists" and women "bitches," and tells the only black employee that her husband should work in a cotton field with a rope around his neck.
  • The Supervisor Supremacist — supervisor begins morning staff meetings by saying "White Power" and giving the Nazi salute; when African-American employee complains, he finds himself hanged in effigy.
  • The Tasering Torturer — company owner disciplines employee by threatening to kill him, lighting fires near him, and repeatedly shocking him with a taser.
 
The final vote wasn't close. The winner tallied an astounding 62% of all first place votes.

The Worst Employer of 2018 is…

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

CBS denies Les Moonves every penny of his claimed $120 million severance


Today is your last day to vote for the Worst Employer of 2018. The polls close at 11:00 pm tonight. I'll announce this year's big winner tomorrow.


Before we crown this year's worst employer, I thought I'd mention an employer who did something right.

CBS.

Monday, December 17, 2018

Non-solicitation agreements are not a license to steal an employee's already existing customers


Hall v. Edgewood Partners Ins. Center (6th Cir. 12/14/18) [pdf] asks a question that we see arise often in litigation with former employees over restrictive covenants—can an employer limit an employee's access to customers, clients, or other contacts that the employee had prior to the employment.

Or, to put it another way, who owns an employee's pre-existing book of business, the employee or the employer?

Friday, December 14, 2018

WIRTW #535 (the “live from Cleveland” edition)


According to a recent survey, social media is the No. 1 challenge for small business owners. Allow me to offer a solution. 

Last month I had the pleasure of presenting, Think Before You Click! Managing Workplace Social Media. It's an hour-long run-through of myriad reputational and legal issues that employers face when the employees engage on social media.

(I wish YouTube picked a more flattering cover frame.)

Enjoy.


Here's what I read this week: