WIRTW #453 (the “Oxford comma” edition)

Who knew that the l’il ol’ Oxford comma was so controversial? I would have never dreamed that yesterday’s post on the importance of its omission in a wage/statute would generate so much feedback, or that people feel so passionately about its use or non-use. In fact, it was my most shared and talked about post since my takedown of Trump’s first immigration ban.

To gauge exactly how you feel about the Oxford comma, I’ve designed a quick, one-question survey. Take a moment, and click “yes” or “no” on whether one should use the Oxford comma when writing.

Create your own user feedback survey
I’ll publish the results in the coming weeks.

Here’s what I read this week:


Discrimination

• When Your “Day Without Women” Press Release Announces You Are Violating Federal Law — via Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas
• This Map Shows Which States Protect LGBT People From Discrimination — via Lifehacker
• Avoiding lawsuits is as simple as a little bit of training — via Mike Haberman’s Omega HR Solutions
• What’s in a Name?: Bias in the Workplace — via EntertainHR
• Smelly Workplace? A Case Of ‘Extreme Gas’ In The Ol’ Factory — via FisherBroyles
• Doggone it! When an employee is allergic to a coworker’s service animal. — via Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
• Too Many Men Are Silent Bystanders to Sexual Harassment — via Harvard Business Review

Technology

• How (not) to handle negative social media posts — Molly DiBianca at Technology for HR
• In Cyber, Who Do We Trust to Protect the Business? — via Dark Reading
• Cyber Insurance Is Exploding: How to Stay on Top of the Trends — via Technologist
• Germany considers 50 million euro fines for social media companies that fail to remove hate speech — via The Verge
• Is Your Company Using Employee Data Ethically? — via Harvard Business Review
• HIPAA Doesn’t Protect All Employee Medical Information — via Next Blog
• If Your iPhone is Stolen, These Guys May Try to iPhish You — via Krebs on Security

HR & Employee Relations

• “HR Horribles” — collect ’em all! — via Robin Shea’s Employment & Labor Insider
• A Rare Look Into An Employee’s Duty of Loyalty to the Employer — via Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
• New Ohio Law Allows Concealed Carry in Employee’s Parked Cars — via ERC Insights Blog
• What’s So Funny? A Breakdown of Humor in the Workplace — via Next Blog
• Unlimited PTO – Is It Right For Your Company? — via Workplace Insights
• Breaking Rules is Not a Bad Thing (Sometimes) — via Fistful of Talent

Wage & Hour

• President Trump’s Budget Hits Labor Department’s Grant Programs — Labor & Employment Law Navigator
• DOL Offers First Peek at Toned-Down Enforcement — via HR Daily Advisor
• Assistant Managers Are Overtime Exempt — Or Are They? What We Can Learn From Hooter’s — via The Emplawyerologist
• FAQs About Employee Travel Time — Is It Compensable? — via New York Labor and Employment Law Report
• Essay: Is the “gig” economy forcing changes in workforce classification? — via NewsWorks 
• Can We Lawfully Terminate an Employee After He Submits a Vague Doctor’s Note Seeking an Extension of Leave? In a Word, Yes. — via Jeff Nowak’s FMLA Insights
• Court Slams Employer For Denying FMLA Leave for Sick Grandfather — via Minnesota Employment Law Report

Labor

• The Dismal Thrillist Anti-Union Campaign — via Deadspin
• Analyzing Big Labor’s Losing Right-to-Work Battle — via LaborPains
• Labor’s Post-Election Woes — via Workforce Freedom Initiative
• NLRB Defies Common Sense to Rule a Supervisor is Not a Supervisor — via Matt Austin Labor Law
• Sixth Circuit denies request to reconsider Hardin County’s “right to work” ordinance — via Wyatt Employment Law Report