Over the years, I’ve used this space to share some things about my family and me. I figure it helps you better understand me as a person, which, in turn, helps you understand what forms my beliefs and positions on the various issues on which I write. I’ve written about my wedding story, the birth of my son, and my daughter’s first day of kindergarten. I’ve posted on my son’s trials and triumphs during his three-week hospital stay. I’ve shared the loss of old friends and the acquisition of new ones. I’ve drawn lessons from some of our family vacations. And I’ve written about my childhood, growing up in Philadelphia, and some of the summer jobs that helped form my early views about the workplace.
Today, I’m sharing something new.
On Monday, my wife re-joins the workforce, after more than 6 years at home. Thank you to my wife. She made a very difficult decision in May 2006 to stay at home, sacrificing her career to give our kids the gift of her time and attention. Our kids and I are forever grateful. Thank you also to companies that are willing to hire stay at home moms re-entering the workforce. The difficulty of the decision to give up one’s career is exacerbated by the uncertainty of whether you’ll be able to jump back in when ready. Companies should be commended for realizing that a parent’s choice to leave the workforce does not undermine that parent’s capability as an employee upon their return.
Here’s the rest of what I read this week:
Discrimination
- Hospital To Pay Nearly $1 Million To Settle Workplace Language Lawsuit — from TLNT
- That moment right before the pain begins: an EEOC subpoena — from Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
- Realistically Compare Your Employment Fact Finders — from Litigation PostScript. Persuasion Strategies for Litigators
- It’s Depressing That We Need Legislation To Provide Reasonable Accommodations For Pregnant Workers — from Mommyish (my thoughts on this issue are here)
Social Media & Workplace Technology
- Court Finds Broad Requests for Social Media Content Fail to Uphold Rule 34(b)(1)(A)’s “Reasonable Particularity” Requirement, Denies Motion to Compel (in part) — from Electronic Discovery Law
- Fired for WHAT!? - Saints Fan on Facebook — from Phil Miles’s Lawffice Space
- Delaware Court of Chancery on Workday Distractions — from Molly DiBianca’s Delaware Employment Law Blog
HR & Employee Relations
- Unemployment is a Larger Barrier to Employment Than Criminal Record — from Nick Fishman’s employeescreenIQ Blog
- My former employer can't prevent me from working, right? Dissecting the Enforceability of a Noncompete Agreement — from Jason Shinn’s Michigan Employment Law Advisor
- Unfair Competition Basics… Boundless Noncompete Restrictions — from Fair Competition Law
Wage & Hour
- Pay Attention Managers: You have to track time ACTUALLY WORKED! — from Mike Haberman’s Omega HR Solutions
- Red Lobster: We Sea FLSA Differently — from The Proactive Employer Blog
- The Sixth Circuit Gives Employers a “Twofer”: An Employer’s Automatic Pay Deduction Policy Does Not Automatically Violate the FLSA and a Class Plaintiff Must “Commence” Suit — from Employer Law Report
Labor Relations
- National Labor Relations Board Issues First Decision Striking Down Employer's Social Media Policy — from Seth Borden’s Labor Relations Today
- Employer Social-Media Policies in NLRB's Cross-Hairs — from Outten & Golden Employment Law Blog
- The NLRB Takes Its Own Advice — from Social Media Employment Law Blog
- In light of NLRB ethics probe, is Walmart social media policy still ok? — from Robin Shea’s Employment and Labor Insider