Emotional outbursts as ADA-protected disabilities

The term hysteria comes from the Greek word hysterika, meaning Uterus. In ancient Greece it was believed that a wandering and discontented Uterus was blamed for that dreaded female ailment of excessive emotion, hysteria. The disease's symptoms were believed to be dictated by where in the body the offending organ roamed. It was not religious belief but a social belief.

Hysteria
https://academic.mu.edu/meissnerd/hysteria.html

Less than two months after Jessica Mullen's hysterectomy, she applied for a position as a stitcher with athletic footwear manufacturer New Balance. Within the first few weeks of her employment, her was having difficulty mastering one of the stitching machines, which led to an abrupt and (maybe) heated exchange with her trainer, Julie Prentiss. During that exchange, Mullen became upset and began to cry. Prentiss placed Mullen in a time-out in the break room, and contacted two human resources managers, Frances Fisher and Rachel Merry.

The 7th nominee for the “worst employer of 2019” is … the disability debaser

The 7th nominee for the Worst Employer of 2019 is an employer that (allegedly) permitted a nearly year-long campaign to malign and harass an employee living with ADHD and Tourette's syndrome.

Harassment need not be "hellish" to be actionable

Gates v. Board of Education of the City of Chicago (7th Cir. 2/20/19) asks a question that we see time and again in harassment cases—how bad does does the conduct have to be to support a harassment claim. The answer is bad enough, but not so bad so as to be classified as "hellish."

WIRTW #544 (the “it's a shame” edition)

I love how my kid's school embraces their individuality and creativity. Back in the fall, my wife and I had a quick conversation with one of Norah's teachers about her music, which led to him suggesting that she bring her guitar to school to share a song at one of their Wednesday morning all-division meetings. After a few weather related false starts, Norah finally had her chance this week. She chose to play It's a Shame, by First Aid Kit.

I fully understand that I am a biased dad. But, I also think that my 12-year-old's cover of the song (recorded by one of her friends) was a home run. Here's the link if you want to listen.

Here's what I read this week:

The legalities of employee mass walkouts vs. the practicalities of avoiding them in the first place

Three central Ohio Sonic restaurants are without employees after their entire staffs walked off the job in protest against new management and its policies.

According to The Scioto Post, employees left a handwritten note on the door, reading in part, "Due to terrible management the whole store has quit. The company has been sold to people that don't give a f*uck about anyone but themselves."

A 💩 disability discrimination case

A call center employee, suffering from Crohn's Disease, asks his manager for some flexibility in the company's break schedules or other accommodations for his bathroom needs. Instead, his supervisor accuses him of stealing time and fires him.

Or at least that's what Nicolas Stover claims happened to him at a Kentucky Amazon call center.

What a morning at the BMV teaches about cybersecurity

I spent way too much of my Saturday morning at the local Bureau of Motor Vehicles (aka the Walmart of government agencies). "Why," you ask? Because my plates were on the verge of expiring, and I had forgotten to take advantage of the much preferable online registration process.

So there I found myself at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, waiting in line. To be fair, it was the "express" line, designated for license renewals only. My experience, however, was less than express, thanks to the patron two spots ahead of me in line.