Breaking down the proper way to handle an extended medical leave of absence

I spend a lot of time calling out employers who mishandle workplace issues. Today, I'm highlighting one that got it right.

Leanna Coffman was a Nexstar Media employee who suffered serious pregnancy-related complications and took 12 weeks of FMLA leave after giving birth. When her FMLA leave expired, Nexstar continued to provide support—giving her months of additional time off and approving her short-term disability benefits.

But when she still couldn't return to work six months after going out on leave, and also couldn't provide a clear return date, Nexstar made the difficult decision to terminate her.

So she sued for discrimination and FMLA retaliation. She lost on all counts. Why? Because Nexstar handled this situation correctly. They followed the law, communicated clearly, documented their decisions, and gave Coffman much more than the law required.

The Feds say that proselytizing at work is okay, but it shouldn't be

"The power of Christ compels you!" … could soon be coming to a workplace near you.

The Trump administration has issued new guidance allowing federal employees to display religious items at their desks, pray in groups off the clock, and even try to convert their coworkers.

You read that right. Government employees can now "attempt to persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views" and "encourage their coworkers to participate in religious expressions of faith, such as prayer, to the same extent that they would be permitted to encourage coworkers participate in other personal activities," so long as it's not "harassing in nature."

The 6 hard truths of litigation

I pay my mortgage and my kids' school tuition thanks to how long lawsuits take and how expensive they are.

Still, we need to have a frank conversation about exactly that: how long lawsuits take, and how much they cost.

Xerox just ended a 13-year legal saga with a $9.1 million settlement to a class of 5,700 call center employees. The lawsuit challenged the company's Achievement-Based Compensation plan, which paid employees by task and offered bonuses to meet minimum wage thresholds—but didn't cover time spent logging in, waiting between calls, or doing other required non-task work.

Think about that. Years of disruption. Thousands of work hours lost to discovery, motions, depositions, hearings, and appeals. Millions in legal fees. All to land on a settlement that isn't remotely material to a $7 billion company.

WIRTW #766: the 'empathy' edition

Forty years ago this week, the world came together. On July 13, 1985, Live Aid united millions across borders—not out of politics, but out of compassion. No cynicism. No culture wars. Just humanity responding to suffering.

Can you imagine that happening today?

In a time when empathy is mocked as weakness and "America First" is used to justify indifference, we need to remember what real leadership—and real decency—looks like.

Over at my Substack, I share what Live Aid teaches us about the power of compassion—and why rediscovering it may be our best hope against rising authoritarianism.

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

Strollers and stouts can coexist: making the case for family-friendly breweries

There's a growing trend in craft beer: no kids allowed.

Forest City Brewery, for example, recently banned guests under 16. They cite too many safety issues involving unsupervised toddlers and distracted parents.

They're not alone. Breweries across the country are shifting to adults-only policies… or at least adults-only hours.

I get it. Staff shouldn't have to dodge strollers or play babysitter. And if someone really pulled out a travel potty in the middle of a taproom (as one brewery reported)? Yikes! That's not just inappropriate; it's gross.

When your top talent drops the leg on your trade secrets…

Carma HoldCo—the company behind the Real American Beer concept—is laying the legal smackdown on two of its former execs, Chad Bronstein and Nicole Cosby.

Real American Beer is the light lager co-founded by wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. It's got a red-white-and-blue brand identity, a distribution deal with Walmart, and is being billed as the "official beer of WWE." It's a high-profile brand with big backing and even bigger stakes.

Carma alleges Bronstein and Cosby developed branding and business plans for the beer while still on the payroll, then body-slammed their confidentiality obligations by launching the same beer under their own company, RAHM (d/b/a Real American Beer), after getting the boot.

Being a workplace star doesn't excuse bad behavior. In fact, it demands more accountability, not less.

Teenage football phenom Lamine Yamal made headlines for all the wrong reasons this weekend. At his 18th birthday party, he allegedly hired people with dwarfism as entertainment, prompting widespread public backlash and legal complaints from disability rights organizations. The accusation: dehumanizing behavior that treats the disabled as props for amusement is discriminatory and undermines basic dignity.

Let's pivot from the pitch to the workplace.

Too often, high performers or rainmakers are given a pass. Their results insulate them. They cross lines, bullying coworkers, making inappropriate jokes, creating uncomfortable or even hostile environments. Leadership and HR look the other way because "they're too valuable to lose."