WIRTW #568 (the “work songs, vol. 1” edition)

Today, I thought I’d take a look at some of the best songs ever written about working. Here are my first five. (These are not necessarily the “top 5,” and are not in any particular order; they are just the five that came to mind.)

• “Working Class Hero” — John Lennon 

They hurt you at home, and they hit you at school
They hate you if you’re clever, and they despise a fool
Till you’re so fucking crazy, you can’t follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

• “9 to 5” — Dolly Parton

It’s a rich man’s game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Putting money in his wallet
Working 9 to 5
What a way to make a living

• “Longer Than You’ve Been Alive” — Old 97’s

Now I’ve made a living out of shaking my ass
And if you offer me an office, I’d have to pass
But our jobs are all jobs, and sometimes they suck
I love what I do, and I’ve had pretty good luck

• “Takin’ Care of Business” — Bachman-Turner Overdrive

And if your train’s on time, you can get to work by nine
And start your slavin’ jobs and get your pay
If you ever get annoyed, look at me, I’m self-employed
I love to work at nothing all day

• “Career Opportunities” — The Clash

Oi!
Bus driver
Ambulance man
Ticket inspector
I don’t understand

What songs would you add to my list? Drop a comment below and let me know.

Here’s what I read this week:

Discrimination

• The Open Question of Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation — via HR Hero Line
• Symposium: Title VII did not and does not extend to sexual orientation or gender identity — in 1964 or today — via Richard Epstein at SCOTUS Blog
• Is it Sexist to Promote a Male Employee over Two Females — via Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas
• Game Night Has A New Player: Ms. Monopoly — via FisherBroyles
• How power dynamics in the workplace shield perpetrators of sexual harassment — via ABA Journal
• Is Rejecting Someone Because of His “Jewish Blood” Race Discrimination Under Title VII? National Origin Discrimination? — via The Volokh Conspiracy
• The Emplawyerologist Best Regards? Regarding an Employee as Disabled Also Violates the ADA — via The EmpLAWyerologist Blog

HR & Employee Relations

• 12 Years Later … Employment Law and Employment Law Blogs Continue to Grow Up — via Dan Schwartz’s Connecticut Employment Law Blog
• We Need Civility, Now More Than Ever! — via SHRM Blog
• How Generation-Z Will Revolutionize The Workplace — via Forbes

Technology

• Engagement or Connection: Why the Connected Workplace Might Be Better — via hr bartender
• A new algorithm predicts when employees will quit — via Workplace Diva
• Why Companies Are Forming Cybersecurity Alliances — via Harvard Business Review
• Ransomware Protection Strategies from CISA — via Ride The Lightning

Wage & Hour

• Workers Accuse Chipotle, the ‘Food With Integrity’ Company, of Abuses — via The New York Times
• Five wage and hour goodies for your business. Trust me. This won’t be weird at all. — via Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
• Google’s Chance To Do Good For Gig Workers — via Workplace Fairness
• It’s a Headache: Worker With Intermittent FMLA Leave for Migraines Gets a Trial — via The Employment Brief

Labor

• Google employees still face retaliation for reporting workplace issues — via Engadget HD
• NLRB Expands Employers’ Ability to Exclude Union Speech — via Workplace Prof Blog
• Labor Board Makes Historic Shift: Employers Gain More Leeway to Unilaterally Change Job Terms — via Minnesota Employment Law Report
• D.C. Circuit Upholds NLRB’s “Perfectly Clear” Successor Doctrine — via Hunton Employment & Labor Law Perspectives™
• NLRB Denies Micro-Unit At Boeing S.C. Plant — via Labor Relations Institute

Workplace Safety

• Suicide Awareness: 11 Suggestions for Employers — via Jonathan HR Law
• How To Overcome the Mental Health Stigma — via EntertainHR
• Zappos partners with Fender to help employees de-stress by learning music — via HR Dive
• It’s Time to Talk About the Family’s Role in the Mental Health of Legal Professionals — via Law.com - In-House Counsel
• Why You Need To Pay Attention To Eye Health At Work — via Take It Personel-ly
• Violating OSHA’s Anti-Retaliation Provision Can Be Costly! — via LE Blog

* Photo by Steve Harvey on Unsplash