It’s hard to believe, but the summer blockbuster—the high budget, slickly marketed, big action, and bigger box-office-return movie that has everyone talking—was born 38 years ago tomorrow. On June 20, 1975, Jaws hit theaters. It earned $470 million total, which, I don’t have to tell you, is a lot of chum, especially in 1975 dollars. In hindsight, Jaws changed the film industry by changing how we go the the movies. There had been plenty of movies before Jaws that made lots of money, but after Jaws, movie studios began to plan their entire annual release schedule around the release of one big summer movie.
In honor of this week marking the anniversary of Jaws, I present the Summer Blockbuster edition of the Employment Law Blog Carnival.
Jaws (1975): $470,653,000 total worldwide box-officeIs there anything scarier than a the world’s biggest great white shark terrorizing a sleepy New England beach community? How about reviewing 403(b) plan documents? Yikes! According to Employee Benefits Unplugged, you might be able to put that fear away, as the IRS Paves the Way for “Boilerplate” 403(b) Plan Documents.
Star Wars (1977): $775,398,007
Despite the tense battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original trilogy’s original film, you could sense the mutual respect that rested at the heart of their complicated relationship. At The HR Bartender, Sharlyn Lauby (along with yours truly) shares how Employee Respect Is an Unfair Labor Practice.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): $389,925,971
In the original Raiders…, Indiana Jones had to overcome some spectacular traps. None is more famous, though, than the giant boulder that chased him out of the cave in the film’s opening sequence. Of course, Indy escaped. The Emplawyerologist helps you avoid the 10 most common pitfalls of the I-9 form.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): $792,910,554
Is there anything more beautiful than E.T. healing Elliot’s finger? Ask Mike Haberman, who, over at Omega HR Solutions, offers us The Good, the Bad and the Ugly about Hiring only Beautiful People.
Ghostbusters (1984): $291,632,124
I ain’t afraid of those ghosts. Apparently, the 3rd Circuit ain’t afraid of those NLRB recess appointments, according to Third Circuit Agrees with Noel Canning; Is the 2nd Court to Invalidate NLRB Recess Appointments from Employment Essentials.
Back to the Future (1985): $383,874,862
Is there anything more depressing that traveling 30 years in the past only to find out that you mom has the hots for you? Ask Heather Bussing, who, over at The HR Examiner, writes about Depression and Work.
Top Gun (1986): $356,830,601
You will be the top gun of employers if you document your employees’ performance and disciplinary problems (says CPEhr’s Small Biz HR Blog), successfully enforce termination clauses in employment agreements (says First Reference Talks), and provide for your employees bad-mouthing your company online (says Jessica Miller-Merrell’s Workology).
Batman (1989): $411,348,924
“Where does he get those wonderful toys,” asks Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Some employers feel like the joke is on them when dealing lately with the EEOC. John Holmquist’s Michigan Employment Law Connection shares some insight into the Agency’s thought process in A conversation with the EEOC.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989): $474,171,806
The third installment in the saga of Indiana Jones concerns the quest for the Holy Grail, the mystical chalice out of which Jesus supposedly drank at the Last Supper. Blogging4Jobs, in Creating a Company “Bible” Can Save Time and Attorney’s Fees, suggests that your company create its own grail of best practices and corporate knowledge to aid your attorney in representing you in litigation.
Jurassic Park (1993): $969,851,882
You want scary? How about being chased by an honest to goodness T-Rex? Or, courtesy of Robin Shea’s Employment & Labor Insider, Is your reason for termination honest, logical, and complete? If not, you may get a scary result in your discrimination case.
The Lion King (1994): $951,583,777
The circle of life starts with pregnancy. Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook shares the most cockamamie excuse evah for firing a pregnant employee.
Finding Nemo (2003): $921,743,261
Dory tried to talk to the whale. She should have listening to its warning. Fitzpatrick on Employment Law reports on a different type of warning, in Fourth Circuit Holds That Supervisor’s “Warning” Constitutes Adverse Action.
The Dark Knight (2008): $1,004,558,444
The Dark Knight has some spectacular violence, most of which is wrought by the film’s amazing antagonist, The Joker. How do you handle home-grown violence that permeates your workplace? Ask the author of this piece at Musings, discussing a Victim of Domestic Abuse Fired from Teaching Job.
Toy Story 3 (2010): $1,063,171,911
I live in a Toy Story world. Just ask my almost-five-year-old, Donovan, and his collection of a few-dozen Buzz Lightyears of various sizes and features. For this reason, no list of summer blockbusters compiled by me would be complete without including the most successful animated film of all time, Toy Story 3. The movie concerns a jail break from Sunnyside Daycare by Andy’s beloved toys. If they were real criminals, and the city of Seattle had its way, employers would be limited in learning of their conviction records, says Washington Workplace Law’s Seattle Bans Consideration of Criminal Background in Early Stages of Hiring Process.
Black Swan (2010): $329,398,046
Okay, so Black Swan neither premiered in the summer, nor is it properly classified as a blockbuster (although $300+ million in international box-office and a Best Actress Oscar for Natalie Portman is nothing to sneeze at). There is no movie, though, more appropriate to discuss the recent happenings with the legality and illegality of unpaid internships. See Black Swan Unpaid Interns Win FLSA Claim from Phil Miles’s Lawffice Space, and Top 6 Signs Your Unpaid Internship Should Be Paid from Donna Ballman’s Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home.
Robin Shea, the author of the fabulous Employment & Labor Insider, will host next month’s Employment Law Blog Carnival, on July 17. If you want to participate, email her a link to your employment-law-related blog post by July 12. If you want to host a future edition of the Carnival, email its curator, Eric Meyer.
Because I hosted this month’s Carnival, WIRTW will not run this Friday, and will return with to its regularly featured slot next Friday, with #279.