I sometimes use this weekly space to get personal. Today will be one of those posts.
My 5-year-old son, Donovan, was born with Noonan Syndrome. NS is a variably expressed, multisystem genetic disorder, occurring in every 1 in 1,000 – 2,500 births. In Donovan’s manifestation, he has, among other things, pulmonary valve stenosis and a platelet function disorder, and is, and will likely always be, small in stature (although given that I’m not quite 5’ 7” and my wife not quite 4’ 11”, the genetic height cards were stacked against him anyway). We are extraordinarily thankful that Donovan seems to have dodged the developmental and learning disorders that can occur. As we have learned in the five years since his diagnosis, however, something new is always around the bend. (For more information on Noonan Syndrome, please visit the website for the Noonan Syndrome Foundation, an organization to which I am proud to volunteer my time as its outside counsel.)
A few months ago Donovan caught some of Life According to Sam, the stunning and moving HBO documentary chronicling the life of Sam Berns, his struggle with Progeria, and his family’s quest for better understanding of, and cure for, this rare genetic disorder. Donovan, whose television diet usually revolves around SpongeBob and Pixar, became transfixed by this very adult story. After watching most of it in silence, he turned to my wife and me and asked, “Am I going to die like that boy?” It was our first real glimpse that Donovan has an understanding of the medical issues with which he lives.
Last Friday, Sam Berns died. A few months before his passing, he gave a Ted Talk, entitled, My Philosophy for a Happy Life. It is well worth 12:45 of your time.
We should all embrace the small things, and live a happier life as a result.
Here’s the rest of what I read this week:
Discrimination
- Can Sexual “Banter” Morph Into Sexual Harassment? The Stakes Are High — from Employment Discrimination Report
- Planning to fire expectant mom? Prove problems predated pregnancy — from Business Management Daily
- Counter-Intuitive Employment Law: When Should You Tell an Employee to Talk to an Attorney? — from Minnesota Employer
- Punter’s legal claims may be blocked — from EntertainHR
- When gossip becomes harassment — from EmployerLINC
Social Media & Workplace Technology
- How to Respond to a Social Media Crisis — from Social Media Examiner
- Should You Share Your Employees’ Sins on Twitter? — from Inc.com
HR & Employee Relations
- In 2014, Resolve to Make Your Business Human Again — from Harvard Business Review
- Be Nice to Everyone. It’s Worth It — from Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas
- 2014 HR Compliance Guide — from ERC Insights Blog
- “I QUIT!!! There’s an app for that too!?! — from Michigan Employment Law
- Why A-Rod Will Strikeout on His Appeal and What Employers Can Learn — from Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
- What Chris Christie’s traffic scandal can teach us about workplace culture — from Warren & Associates Blog
- Three workplace lessons from Chris Christie’s “Bridgegate” — from Robin “Shea’s Employment and Labor Insider
- 6 Things That Should Go into Your Anti-Bullying Policy — from i-Sight Investigation Software Blog
Wage & Hour
- Worrying About Lawsuits? You Should Be Focusing on Compliance Instead — from TLNT
- General Managers Beware: You Might Have to Pay Up — from Corporate Counsel
- “Lawsuits—I Get It! But What Should We DO?” — from Wage and Hour Laws Blog
- Time Spent Dressing and Undressing for the Job is “Work”?! — from The Emplawyerologist
- If weather keeps employees from work, must they be paid? — from MonsterThinking
- FMLA FAQ: Can Excess Trips to the Potty Be Counted as FMLA Leave? — from Jeff Nowak’s FMLA Insights
Labor Relations
- Separation of Powers Dominates Noel Canning Arguments Before the Supreme Court — from Labor Relations Today
- Noel Canning and Recess Appointments — from Concurring Opinions
- Four reasons why Noel Canning still matters in a post-nuclear world — from Constitution Daily