WIRTW #701: the “last dance” edition

My daughter, Norah, has been chosen as one of 30 acts to compete in the 2024 Tri-C High School Rock Off at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Norah (who performs as norah marie) takes the Rock Hall stage on Feb. 10 as part of the second of three semifinal rounds. Four acts from each round will advance to the Final Exam on Mar. 2, where a panel of industry judges will crown the "Best Band in the Land."

This year's winner will be the last "Best Band in the Land," as Live Nation has announced that this year's High School Rock Off will be the final High School Rock Off. This news saddens me, as it's such a unique event for Cleveland and a great opportunity for the youngest members of our music community. Having attended the Rock Off for years, it's always a great time showcasing a ton of talent and great music.

The Tri-C High School Rock Off is one of biggest competitions in the country for high school rock musicians. We're so lucky to have held it for so many years. This year's prizes for the winning act include the opportunity to perform at the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. It's a big deal.

Norah performs on Feb. 10. Tickets are digital-only and available for purchase via the Rock Hall website, here. At checkout, use the code NORAH. Each ticket includes a full Rock Hall admission during the event.

We'd love to see you there.

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

The 1st nominee for the Worst Employer of 2024 is … the S&M CEO

I've seen a lot of strange stuff in my 26-plus-year career as an attorney for employers. But this story takes the cake … and it might just run away with the title of the Worst Employer of 2024 when the votes are counted at year's end.

I present to you … the "Slave Contract."

An employee fired by software company Tradeshift recently filed a lawsuit alleging that the company's former CEO required her to sign a "Slave Contract" as a condition of her employment and then subjected her to years of sexual abuse, subjugation, and violence.

8 ways to spot a crook inside your business

Between Sept. 2021 and Oct. 2022, Lyle Bigelow, the now-former COO of 1487 Brewery, embezzled approximately $200,000 from his employer. How? He created fake employees in the brewery's payroll system and directed their illegitimate paychecks to his personal bank accounts.

Bigelow was recently sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $100,000 in restitution to the brewery (the amount not covered by its insurance).

Do you know how to spot an employee who is potentially stealing from your business? Here are 8 possible warning signs that suggest possible internal theft and/or an attempt to cover it up.

Pro-employee vs. Pro-union

"You can't be pro-employee and anti-union."

"If you're pro-employee you should also be pro-union."

Each of these two themes ran through the more than 1,000 comments posted to last week's viral LinkedIn post on Costco's union organizing.

Let me be as clear as I can be. There is absolutely nothing inconsistent about an employer being both pro-employee AND anti-union.

WIRTW #700: the “Rock Off” edition

For the past 26 years, Live Nation Entertained has crowned "The Best Band in the Land" at the Tri-C High School Rock Off. This year is no exception. My daughter, Norah, will be competing on Feb. 10 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in one of three semi-final rounds to determine who advances to the Final Exam on Mar. 2.

We've attended the event for years, first when Norah performed in an exhibition as part of the School of Rock Jr. Headliners, and then four years ago when her former band advanced to the Final Exam. This year, Norah will be performing as a solo artist.  

It's always an amazing night of live music. Additionally, your ticket (which I think will only cost $10) comes with a full Rock Hall admission for the night at a significant discount from its normal $35 price tag. That's what I call a win-win.

Tickets are not yet available, but I'll be sharing the link when they go on sale.

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

THIS is how you respond to a group of employees organizing and forming a labor union

Competitive salary. Excellent benefits. Great support from management. Collaborative environment. Those are a few of the glowing terms reviewers use to describe Costco on Glassdoor. They are also what help the warehouse club earn a regular spot on Glassdoor's "Top 100 Places to Work" annual report.

Why, then, did a group of Costco workers at one of its stores "overwhelmingly" vote to unionize, making it the Teamsters' first organizing victory at the big-box wholesale retailer in more than 20 years?

Discussing a couple of pay deductions for service-industry employees

Consider the following two policies, which restaurants and bars have implemented to save a few nickels against their tight margins:  

“Effective Jan. 1, we will begin implementing a tip refund for credit card processing fees for all gratuities left on a customer’s credit card; 2.5% will be deducted from your final check-out for each such gratuity paid.” 

 -and- 

“The full value of the check from which a patron flees the facility (‘dines and dashes’) will be deducted from the server’s paycheck.”  

Each of these policies is 100% legal under federal wage and hour laws. (Check your state laws, however, which may differ.)