I’ll be offline next week, as my family will be in Philadelphia for my son’s heart procedure.
Donovan was born with pulmonary valve stenosis, and on Tuesday he’s having a balloon dilation via cardiac catheterization to (hopefully) fix it.
While everyone likes to tell us it’s a routine procedure, we’ve learned with Donovan over the years that because of his genetic disorder anything medical is rarely simple. Moreover, if it doesn’t work, he’s almost certainly looking at open heart surgery in his future to replace the valve.
Thus, we are traveling to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (with a small detour first to New York City to take D-man to the Nintendo Store; he told me I better have a lot of room on my credit card) with hopeful thoughts and very anxious anticipation.
We’re taking all good vibes and prayers you have to send Donovan’s way.
I’ll post an update next week after his procedure.
Here’s what I read this week.
Discrimination
- A Fish Tank Full of Sexual Harassment? Why Diversity Helps — via Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas
- The Supreme Court showdown over LGBTQ discrimination, explained — via Vox
- Argument preview: Justices to consider federal employment protection for LGBT employees — via SCOTUSblog
- Transgenderism In The Workplace: The New Not-So-New Normal — via Fistful of Talent
- Second-guessing the advice columns: Get off my lawn! — via Robin Shea's Employment & Labor Insider
HR & Employee Relations
- Why parenting shapes the workforce — via Human Resource Executive
- Great places to work don’t spring up by accident — via Ragan.com
- How to Successfully Tackle Difficult Conversations: 6 Dos and Don’ts — via SHRM Blog
- Style Advice for Different Dress Codes — via Take It Personel-ly
Technology
- An employer trolled a job candidate’s bikini photo on Instagram and it backfired HORRIBLY — via Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog
- Legal Issues in AI: Discrimination and Bias — via HR Examiner with John Sumser
- AI-yi-yi! Employees are messing with their robotic coworkers — via Workplace Diva
- How To Spot A Phishing Email — via Accellis Technology Group
- Targeted Cybercrime On a Tear — via Dark Reading
- Hackers made a Detroit interstate billboard play a porn scene — via Engadget HD
Wage & Hour
- 74 employers have used DOL’s new self-reporting program, paying out $4M — via HR Dive
- Gig Economy Trends You Need to Know About — via HR Daily Advisor
- In The Gig Economy, Who Is An Employee And Who Is An Independent Contractor? — via Above the Law
- 10th Cir.: Workers for Recreational Marijuana Covered by FLSA, Notwithstanding Federal Law Which Renders Business Illegal — via Overtime Law Blog
- Are the DOL’s Proposed New FMLA Forms Just Another Version of Hamburger Helper? — via Jeff Nowak’s FMLA Insights
- DOL Advises: FMLA Leave Should Not Be Delayed, No Exception for Collective Bargaining Agreements — via Management Memo
Labor
- The NLRB Continues Its Trend of Employer-Friendly Decisions — via Hunton Employment & Labor Law Perspectives™
- NLRB judge finds Elon Musk's tweet violated labor law — via HR Dive
- Why Is Everyone So Fired Up? Did Dave Portnoy Really Break the Law When He Made Patronizing Remarks About Unions Via Twitter? — via The L•E•Jer
- T-Mobile’s Worker Feedback Group Not Company Union NLRB Says — via Bloomberg Law
- In Week Three, GM Strikers Hold Firm for Making Temps Permanent — via Labor Notes
OSHA & Safety
- Marijuana Accommodations In The Workplace: Your Employees Are Smoking Pot—Now What? — via Forbes
- Your Mental Health and Your Work — via Harvard Business Review
- Bosses, listen up: Being flexible with employees can help them beat work stress better — via The Economic Times
- OSHA Debuts New Weighting System for Workplace Safety and Health Inspections — via Joe’s HR and Benefits Blog