Tag: Employment law

What do employees want? Money ranks right up there

Employers spend a lot of time and energy striving for engaged workers, the kind of employees who are happy, productive, and devoted to their jobs. But finding ways to recruit and retain those employees takes understanding what workers value most from an employer, and that gets complicated. Some employers emphasize their commitment to flexibility and […]

Do as I say, not as I do: SEIU and the ‘Fight for $15’ campaign

by Michael Barnsback What organization funds and organizes a national movement for a $15 minimum wage and increased unionization, but does not pay the people it employs to support the movement $15 an hour and is antagonistic to their joining a union? The answer is  Service Employees International Union (SEIU). On August 12 and 13, […]

From sports and entertainment to politics and social justice—when worlds collide in your workplace

It’s everywhere. Whether you like it or not, you can’t escape it. While the topics of politics and social justice are undoubtedly important discussions to have in our country, the reality is that they now seem ever present. Consider, for example, two popular entertainment outlets many individuals usually go to in order to “escape” from […]

Can one unionized worker sue another?

by Stéphane Fillion and Romeo Aguilar Perez It is well established in Canada that any legal action whose essential character arises from a collective agreement falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of an arbitrator, not the courts. Clearly, that includes a dispute between a unionized employee and his or her employer. But what if a dispute […]

Privacy vs. practicality: when expectations collide

by Jo Ellen Whitney Plenty of reporters, commentators, and the twitterverse have all made statements that Hillary Clinton is way too invested in her personal privacy, citing various examples, including most recently her health.  As you will remember, former Secretary Clinton was escorted from the New York 9/11 memorial service appearing ill and there was […]

North Korea has banned sarcasm. Whatever.

In case you haven’t seen the news, no, the title is not a joke. The last word, however, is probably illegal now in North Korea (not that I worry much that this post is making it through the Hermit Kingdom’s web filters). First, a little background. North Korea’s government, as we all know, displays two consistent […]

Avoiding snares in workplace wellness programs

by David L. Johnson Encouraged by health insurance companies, workplace wellness programs have become trendy. Wellness programs help prevent disease and encourage employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. What could possibly go wrong? Well, wellness programs involve biometric screenings, medical questionnaires, and health risk assessments. If the information is in the hands of a third party […]

In remembering 9/11, don’t forget USERRA

by Bill Ruhling September 11, 2016, marks 15 years since the attacks on the United States that propelled the country into a war on terror that we continue to wage. It also has brought to the forefront the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform. The upcoming anniversary of those events serves as […]

Employers can learn lessons from DOL’s FLSA woes

Many thought it ironic in mid-August when news broke that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) had agreed to a $7 million settlement in a 10-year-old dispute with its own employees and their union. The same agency charged with policing how employers comply with the wage and hour law apparently had compliance problems of its […]