We need to talk about “wokeness”

"When I grow up, I want to be hired based on what I look like rather than my skills.… I want to get promoted based on my chromosomes.… I want to be offended by my coworkers and walk around of the office on eggshells."

Those are just a few of the quotes from some child actors in a viral YouTube ad for a company called RedBalloon.

RedBalloon is a job board to match anti-woke employees with like-minded employers.

Is your business prepared for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act?

Consider the following scenarios:

• A pregnant employee has already used her annual allotment of FMLA leave and has no FMLA leave available to use for any reason.
• A pregnant employee has worked for you less than one year and therefore does not qualify for FMLA leave.
• You have fewer than 50 employees and therefore none of your employees, including your pregnant employees, qualify for FMLA leave.

Now consider a pregnant employee in any of these three situations who needs a leave of absence for the employee's limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. What are your legal obligations?

The 7th nominee for the “Worst Employer of 2023” is … the pretend priest

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. Twice I asked a co-worker to punch my time card to cover my tardiness; once I called off sick when I was really playing golf; and I spoke to a Department of Labor investigator about my belief that I haven't be paid correctly."

Pursuant to a consent judgment with the Department of Labor, Che Garibaldi Inc., the operator of Taqueria Garibaldi, has agreed to pay $140,000 in back wages and damages to 35 employees based on claims that the employer used a fake priest to coerce confessions from employees and then used that information to retaliate against them.

WIRTW #675: the “all I ever wanted” edition

Vacation, all I ever wanted

Vacation, had to get away

The Go-Go's had a point. 

Tomorrow, I leave for my own vacation, one that I've waited three long years to take. We depart for two weeks in Portugal. I'll be back to regular posting on June 19, with photos to share and lessons learned during my travels.

Here's what I read this week that you should read, too.

10 ways to support your LGBTQ employees #pride

Today is the first day of Pride Month. June might be Pride Month, but your business should commit to and support its LGBTQ employees 24/7/365. Here are 10 ideas that incorporate this inclusion and demonstrate your support of your LGBTQ workers.

NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo just obliterated non-compete agreements (maybe)

In my view, the proffer, maintenance, and enforcement of a non-compete provision that reasonably tends to chill employees from engaging in Section 7 activity … violate Section 8(a)(1) unless the provision is narrowly tailored to special circumstances justifying the infringement on employee rights.

With that sentence from NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo's just-published memo — entitled, Non-Compete Agreements that Violate the National Labor Relations Act — Ms. Abruzzo sent employment lawyers (including this employment lawyer) scrambling to understand exactly what she said and what she means.

Here are 11.25 million reasons to settle a lawsuit

Before I will bless a client's decision to terminate an employee, I always ask this question: "Tell me about the demographics — race, sex, age, known disability, etc. Did they complain about something at work and when? If I go through your personnel records, will I find someone outside of the to-be-terminated employee's protected class whom you've treated better?"

Here's why I ask that question.