Tuesday, June 18, 2024
It was the best of opinions; it was the worst of opinions…
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, June 17, 2024
The 7th nominee for the Worst Employer of 2024 is … the murder threatener
"I'm going to kill you."
"You're a dead man."
That's what Mario and Jaime Lopez, two of the owners and managers of Bianco Rosso, (allegedly) told one of their restaurant's former employees when confronting him at his new job. The issue that made them so mad? A Department of Labor investigation into management stealing from the tip pool.
According to a recently filed DOL lawsuit, Bianco Rosso and its three owners, Cristina Ramirez and the Lopezes, engaged in unlawful retaliation against employees who participated in the DOL's investigation.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, June 13, 2024
Just because you only use the n-word on your personal TikTok doesn't mean your employer can't fire you for it.
Until yesterday, I had never heard of a "trad-wife" or of Lilly Gaddis.
A trad-wife is a burgeoning trend of women embracing traditional gender roles and lifestyles of the 1950s. Gaddis is an adherent of the lifestyle and promoter of its beliefs on social media.
In a viral TikTok video, Gaddis (white) used the n-word to describe her friends' husbands. Her employer quickly fired her and released a statement about her termination and upholding its values of diversity, inclusivity, respect, and equality.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, June 12, 2024
As seen on Reddit: payment for training time
As seen on the legaladvice subreddit:
"My company just told us about a new policy where any meeting or training that is held over the lunch hour where food will be provided is unpaid. Some of these lunch meetings are optional trainings, but some are mandatory department meetings. Is it legal for the company to deny pay for time spent at these meetings just because lunch is provided?"
Answer: It is not legal, and the time employees spend during those lunch meetings must be paid.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, June 11, 2024
An update on one of 2023's Worst Employers
Q: What do you win for coming in 6th place in 2023's Worst Employer contest?
A: 20 years in federal prison.
That's what Stavros Papantoniadis, the owner of Stash’s Pizza, is potentially facing after a jury convicted him on three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, June 10, 2024
A ruff reasonable accommodation claim
Samantha Howard worked as a pharmacist for Boswell Regional Health Center. She suffers from Type I diabetes along with hypoglycemic unawareness, which prevents her from knowing when her blood sugar dangerously drops. To help manager her blood sugar, she requested a diabetic-alert service dog as a reasonable accommodation. The employer, however, denied the request because of hygiene concerns and risk of contamination to sterile work areas.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, June 7, 2024
WIRTW #720: the 'Azores' edition
In a little over three weeks we leave for the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It's a subtropical archipelago of nine islands known as the "Hawaii of the Atlantic."
For any of you who've been to São Miguel, what are your must-sees and must-dos? What are your favorite hikes? What off-the-beaten-path sights are worth our time? Which tours do you recommend? How about some A+ restaurant recommendations?
Thanks in advance for playing tour guide for me. I'll reward you with pictures and stories after my return.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, June 6, 2024
Why we fought.
Some numbers to consider on June 6, 2024, the 80th anniversary of D-Day:
75 million: the number of people who died during WWII.
420,000: the number of American casualties during WWII.
5,000: the number of American soldiers wounded on D-Day.
2,501: the number of American soldiers who died on D-Day.
151: the number of days until Election Day.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Please don't forget the "human" in human resources
"How about just being a human being in a situation like this!"
"Can we please prioritize the human aspect of the workplace?"
"Gee, imagine if they'd been just a tiny bit empathetic."
"C'mon, be a mensch."
Those were just a few of the LinkedIn comments to this week's post about the employee denied a reasonable accommodation upon her return to work from cancer surgery.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, June 3, 2024
Context, not "magic words," is what matters in judging reasonable accommodation requests, 6th Circuit says
"I'm struggling and need some time to get back to normal. Working 53 hours my first week back is hard for me physically."
In response, and instead of discussing with Yannick a reasonable accommodation, Schnepp told her that "business was business." If she couldn't hack it, Schnepp told her, she'd have to step down. That's exactly what Yannick did, transferring to a lesser position at another store. She also sued.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, May 31, 2024
WIRTW #719: the 'pomp and circumstance' edition
Tomorrow, Norah, will graduate from high school. Earlier this week, we attended the Senior Brunch, an annual tradition at her school celebrating the graduating seniors. At the end of the ceremony, Norah took possession of her time capsule, a thoughtful project that the mom of one of her fellow classmates organized from kindergarten through 7th grade. That mom held on to them for 12 years. Now, Norah has it.
May 29, 2012
Dear Norah,
We've watched you grow so much as a person and as a student during your kindergarten year that I am not sure exactly who will be reading this letter 12 years from now. What I do know is that you will be the same loving, compassionate, empathetic, confident, smart person you are today, just with 12 added years of maturity.
I know that your mom and I will be proud of the young lady you will have become, and all that you will have accomplished as we prepare to send you off to college. I know that we will trust you to continue to make the good, wise decisions that have served you well to this point in your life. I know that whatever you do, and whatever choices you make, we will be proud of you and support you. And never forget that no matter what, you will always be our little girl.
Most of all, I want you to know that we love you very much and we are always here for you. Now go do great things, like you always do.
Love,
Daddy
Here's what I read this week that you should read, too.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, May 30, 2024
"Why would you want a man's job?" = big job interview no-no, says EEOC in lawsuit
"Why would you want a man's job?" Why do you want to take a job away from a man?"
Those interview questions are at the center of a lawsuit the EEOC filed against Waste Industries, a solid waste removal, recycling pickup, and landfill operation business.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, May 28, 2024
The 6th nominee for the Worst Employer of 2024 is … the racist recruiter
"Only U.S. Born Citizens [white] … [Don’t share with candidates]."
That's the text of a job listing that an Arthur Grand Industries recruiter posted on Indeed.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, May 24, 2024
WIRTW #718: the ‘fireflies' edition
"Do you want to bring a backup guitar with you?"
That was the question I ask my daughter as we load up the car to leave for her Sunday-night gig opening for Rhett Miller.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, May 23, 2024
Should jury verdict forms in discrimination cases include the McDonnell Douglas factors?
Jury trials are often won or lost based on the instructions and verdict forms the court provides the jury.
Jury instructions outline the legal standards that the jury must use to decide the case. Verdict forms allow the jury to record its decisions on the issues in the case and typically include specific questions that the jury must answer reflecting their findings on claim.
In Craddock v. FedEx Corp. Servs.Craddock v. FedEx Corp. Servs., the plaintiff — a Black woman fired after an altercation at work — complained on appeal about an alleged inconsistency in the jury's verdict.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Prompt engineering tips for generative AI
Innovate or die. I held out long enough, but it's time for me to learn how to use ChatGPT and incorporate it into my legal practice. That was one of my biggest takeaways from the Mackrell International Annual General Meeting earlier this month.
What does one do when one wants to learn how to effectively use ChatGPT? Ask ChatGPT! Here's the prompt I used: "I'm a lawyer conducting research on employment law. Can you give me the top 6 prompt engineering tips to optimize my results on ChatGPT?"
Here's what ChatGPT recommends:
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, May 21, 2024
It's illegal to deny coverage for gender-affirming care to a transgender employee simply because the employee is transgender
Can an employer-sponsored health plan legally deny coverage for gender-affirming care to a transgender employee simply because the employee is transgender?
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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It's 100% legal to close your business to avoid a labor union
"We have some sad news to share. A process that began last year has reached its conclusion. Today was the last day of service for both cafes of the Wydown, which are now permanently closed."
What's so newsworthy about two cafes closing? What if I tell you that the closure happened just five days before their 35 employees were set to vote on unionization?
The employees steadfastly believe that the cafes closed to avoid a labor union. The owners deny their claim and say that they were merely "ready for a change."
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, May 17, 2024
WIRTW #717: the ‘donut' edition
Here's what I read this week that you should read, too.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, May 16, 2024
This is why you should never give a pass to any employee misconduct
A law firm fires its HR Manager a mere days before she is set to return to work from maternity leave. It says it fired her for "cause," citing numerous performance related examples, including her alleged mismanagement of the firm's health-benefits enrollment.
The problem for the law firm, however, is that it allegedly discovered those performance issues months before the termination and sat on them until the employee was ready to return from her maternity leave.
That timing was enough for the court to deny the law firm's motion for summary judgment on her pregnancy discrimination claim.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, May 15, 2024
This should constitute a racially hostile work environment; the court says it didn't
15 different Black employees complain that their health-care employer maintains a racially hostile work environment. The allegations include several being exposed to the N-word at work, patients refusing treatment by Black employees and calling them "colored" and other slurs, and other race-based incidents.
I disagree.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, May 7, 2024
For Ohio employers, it doesn't matter what the DEA says about marijuana
News recently broke that the DEA intends to reclassify cannabis from a Scheule I drug to a Schedule III drug. That reclassification would permit health care providers to legally prescribe cannabis for medicinal uses.
BUT … check your state law.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, May 3, 2024
WIRTW #716: the ‘new kid' edition
On June 5, 2014, Rhett Miller, founder, front person, and lead singer of Old 97's, promised my daughter (then a mere 9 days past her 8th birthday) that once she was playing her own paid gigs, he'd have her open for him. That conversation took place in the green room of the Beachland Ballroom, and the adjacent photo was taken just after that conversation.
A decade later, Norah is an established, working musician, and Rhett is making good on his promise. He's coming back to town to play a solo gig at the Music Box Supper Club. To make a long story short, when the club announced the gig, Norah reached out to Rhett to ask about opening for him; on May 19 she'll be doing just that.
To hear the longer version of this story, tune in to the most recent episode of The Norah and Dad Show, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, the web, and everywhere else you get your podcasts.
Here's what I read this week that should read, too.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, May 2, 2024
DOL cautions employers on the use of AI
"When used responsibly, AI has the potential to help improve compliance with the law. Without proper human supervision, however, these technologies can pose potential risks to workers … and may result in violations of the law…."
The DOL highlights many potential legal pitfalls for employers that rely on AI to manage how their employees are paid and to track their attendance and leaves of absence.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Does a prank involving adult diapers and a wheelchair = age discrimination? It depends.
An attorney celebrates a paralegal's 50th birthday by decorating her office party with a wheelchair, fake pill bottles, and adult diapers. (Get it? She's "old.")
The paralegal does not appreciate the joke, and lets the lawyer know as much. In response, the lawyer simply moves the decorations adjacent to the paralegal's workstation. Around the same time, the lawyer also starts asking when the paralegal intends to retire.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Sexual harassment, bathroom, and pronouns
"Sex-based harassment includes harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, including … repeated and intentional use of a name or pronoun inconsistent with the individual’s known gender identity … or the denial of access to a bathroom or other sex-segregated facility consistent with the individual’s gender identity."
That the official position of the EEOC in its just released, Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace.
EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas disagrees. She voted against the final guidance. She believes that the bathroom guidance is an "assault on women's sex-based privacy and safety," and the pronoun guidance is an assault on "speech and belief rights."
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, April 26, 2024
WIRTW #715: the ‘over the top' edition
Another successful Craft Brewers Conference is in the books.
I also spent an evening supporting an incredibly worthy cause. Wild West Access Fund held its Brewsters Arm Wrestling event. Women, non-binary, and trans people in beer took the stage in a single-elimination arm wrestling competition to raise money to provide financial assistance to those seeking abortion care in Nevada.
It felt good to do good. While my friends who competed did not win — sorry, Julie Rhodes and Dr. J — it was an amazing night for an amazing cause.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, April 25, 2024
"This is a business." Google CEO fired back and fired protesting employees.
"This is a business, not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe…."
Those were the words of Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a post on his company's corporate blog.
He's referring to Google's recent firing of 50 workers involved in protests against the company's cloud-computing contract with the Israeli government.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, April 24, 2024
FTC bans all non-competes … Now what?
There's more than one way to skin a cat … or at least that's what many employers are hoping.
I'm not going to summarize the FTC's Rule; your inboxes and LinkedIn feeds will be flooded with plenty of those … including this one we sent out this morning.
Suffice it to say that 120 days from the publication of the Rule in the Federal Register, employers will no longer be able to enforce any non-compete agreements except for those already in place with senior execs earning $151,164 or more annually.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, April 19, 2024
WIRTW #714: the ‘today's post is brought to you by the letters W, G, and A' edition
"No one wants to see a picket line on Sesame Street," said Writers Guild President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen.
Earlier this week, Writers Guild members at Sesame Workshop unanimously voted to authorize a strike if management does not agree to a new collective bargaining agreement before their current contract expires later today. Absent a deal, picketing will begin on April 24.
The writers are seeking industry standard annual raises, improvements to residuals, and union coverage for Sesame Workshop's animation and social media segments.
Anyone who follows me on the regular knows that I'm no fan of labor unions. The demands of these writers, however, seem fair and reasonable. They will also have public sentiment on their side.
"Millions of parents and families around the world are going to have a lot of questions," said Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. "They might ask why the bosses at Sesame Workshop are ignoring their company's own messages of kindness and fairness."
Ouch. Your business has a serious problem when your actions don't match stated values. And that's brought to you by the letters, B, A, and D.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, April 18, 2024
Supreme Court eases path for employees to sue employers for discriminatory job transfers
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court held that an employee alleging a discriminatory job transfer need not show the suffering of a "materially significant" disadvantage. Instead, the employee need only show "some injury respecting her employment terms or conditions."
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, April 17, 2024
EEOC makes is clear that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act covers unpaid time off for abortions
From this point forward, if an employee needs an unpaid leave of absence to obtain and recover from an abortion, you better give it her. I realize this topic is divisive, but this issue is no longer subject to debate.
Earlier this week, the EEOC published its final regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Pre-publication, agency considered 94,000 comments urging it either to exclude or include "abortion" from the Act's definition of "pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions." The EEOC chose the latter. Here's why.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, April 15, 2024
One bourbon, one union election, and one Cemex bargaining order
One bourbon, one union election, and one bargaining order … is what an NLRB ALJ told Woodford Reserve Distillery last week. The judge held that the distillery violated federal labor law by undermining its employees' unionization efforts and ordered the distillery to bargain with its employees as their remedy.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, April 12, 2024
WIRTW #713: the ‘lounging around' edition
Next week I'll be at the Craft Brewers Conference at the Venetian in Las Vegas — a four-day gathering presented by the Brewers Association of all things craft brewers and craft beer. There are loads of speakers spread across eight educational tracks, a massive trade show, and too many networking opportunities to count.
On the educational front, I'm speaking on Sunday as part of the THRIVE pre-conference workshop discussing how to craft a harassment-free craft brewery.
On the networking front, my firm is sponsoring the Start A Brewery lounge. Start A Brewery is a community of craft beer industry veterans who share our knowledge and experience in support of the craft beer community by helping new breweries and breweries in planning.
If you're at CBC and want to connect, look for me in the Start A Brewery lounge. I will be in and out on April 22 and the morning of the 23rd. (The lounge is open through the 24th.)
Our lounge will be located at the top of the escalators leading into the main exhibit hall at the Venetian. There will be beer available all around us, and we'll have couches and charging stations to refresh yourself and your devices.
Please let me know if you plan on stopping in so that I can make sure I'm present and available. And please say hello if you're at my speaking session or just happen to run into me at the Conference or at any of the events around Las Vegas. I will happily share a beer with you and toast our industry.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, April 11, 2024
Don't be an ostrich with harassment
"If I ignore harassment, it will go away" … is the 100% incorrect response to harassment happening in your workplace. It's also a non-refundable first-class ticket to a nasty lawsuit.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Must you accommodation an employee's religion not to attend DEI training? Believe it or not, it might depend on the training.
"Your respectful workplace training is against my religion; count me out."
When the employee learned that one module of the training would include LGBTQI+ issues, he explained to his employer, "This subject matter contradicts my sincerely held religious beliefs." He advised that he would excuse himself during that portion of the training.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, April 5, 2024
WIRTW #712: the ‘OH-WOOO’ edition
I will officially have a college student in a little over four months. The "if" was never in doubt, but there "where" definitely was … at least until a couple of weeks ago.
Norah chose Ohio Wesleyan University — OWU, or, as it's affectionately called, OH-WOOO. She'll be a Battling Bishop.
"Fit" might be a four-letter word in the employment law space, as employers often use it as a pretext for discrimination. But for Norah's college choice, it was all about fit.
✅ Small liberal arts school
✅ Within a shortish drive from home
✅ The ability to double major in early childhood education and French
✅ Opportunities to study abroad
✅ A cute campus with off-campus amenities within walking distance
OWU checked all of these boxes. It also didn't hurt that OWU awarded her a Wesleyan Scholarship (one of its highest academic awards) and accepted her into both its Honor Program and Global Scholars Program.
To listen to Norah talk about the "why" of her college choice and the process she used to make her decision, tune in to this week's episode of The Norah and Dad Show, which you'll find on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, via your browser, and any everywhere else you get your podcasts
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, April 4, 2024
The 5th nominee for the Worst Employer of 2024 is … the abhorrent optometrist
"The only thing that changed from when I left for maternity leave to when I was terminated was the fact that I had a baby. It sent a clear message they didn't value me as a person, as a new mom. It was shocking."
Those are the words of Dr. Alana Curatola, who is now suing her former employer, Northwest Eye Surgeons, for discrimination.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, April 2, 2024
YouTuber faces legal challenge against his overly broad severance agreement
"Employer and Employee agree to keep the existence and terms of this Agreement confidential and to not disclose its provisions to anyone.… Employer and Employee further agree not to take actions or make statements, written or oral, that would disparage or otherwise defame the goodwill or reputation of the other."
And they are why Mittelo has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, March 29, 2024
WIRTW #712: the 'lunatics are in my hall' edition
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, March 27, 2024
If your company just agreed to pay $2 million to settle a horrific sexual harassment lawsuit, maybe don’t trash the plaintiff on social media
If your company just agreed to pay $2 million to settle a lawsuit alleging horrific workplace sexual abuse and other sexual harassment, maybe it's not the best idea to trash the plaintiff on social media.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, March 22, 2024
WIRTW #711: the ‘podcast’ edition
"Jon, tell us about your law firm and your legal practice."
I recently sat down with host Ed Skimin to discuss that and more. We talked about Wickens Herzer Panza's comprehensive legal services for small to mid-sized businesses, our global reach through Mackrell International, the scary implications of artificial intelligence, and the unique challenges of representing craft breweries.
Listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, on the web, or wherever else you get your podcasts.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, March 21, 2024
Cheers to the CHEERS Act! 🍻
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Wednesday, March 20, 2024
The 4th nominee for the Worst Employer of 2024 is … the repulsive raisin-maker
National Raisin has agreed to pay $2 million to settle an EEOC sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit that the agency filed on behalf of a class of female agricultural workers, many of whom only speak Spanish.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Does DEI training create a hostile work environment?
"You can't force me to sit through DEI training! I'm White. It creates a racially hostile work environment."
That's what one employee recently argued in a racial harassment lawsuit he filed against his employer, a state department of corrections, which had mandated DEI training for all employees.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of this lawsuit, concluding that this training could not constitute a hostile work environment because it only occurred one and lacked any race-based ridicule or insults.
But all is not roses for employers and their efforts to offer DEI training to better their workplaces.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Monday, March 18, 2024
It’s past time to self-regulate your use of noncompete agreements before the government does it for you
Boston Beer Co., the brewer of Sam Adams and other craft beverages, is taking heat for its overuse of noncompete agreements. In a recent article, the Boston Globe cites examples of several former lower-level Boston Beer employees forced out of the industry they love because of the noncompete agreements their former employer forced them to sign at their time of hire.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, March 15, 2024
WIRTW #710: the “if it ain’t broke…” edition
If you have a child applying for college this year, you know the pain that we are currently feeling. This year, Congress decided to change the process to apply for federal financial aid. The changes to the FAFSA ("Free Application for Federal Student Aid") were supposed to make applying for financial aid easier. Instead, it has caused delays, uncertainty, and stress.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Thursday, March 14, 2024
It’s long past time to Ctrl-Alt-Del the FLSA
The Fair Labor Standard Act is not a good law because employers have zero hope in complying with it.
I know this fact is true because I just read Bradford v. Team Pizza. In that case, the 6th Circuit rejected both the employer's and the plaintiffs' interpretation of the FLSA and punted the case back to the district court to interpret the statute instead.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Spoliation is BAD
Pro tip: it's really, REALLY bad to destroy evidence in your case.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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President Biden’s proposed 2025 federal budget offers a lot for employers to chew on
If you want to learn about a government's priorities, trace the money.
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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Friday, March 8, 2024
WIRTW #709: the “opener” edition
My home, and this Friday space, have been consumed by music for the past few weeks. The 27th and final Tri-C High School Rock Off has come to a close. Norah played a killer set of 2 originals — Potential Spam (which Cleveland.com reporter Malcolm X Abram called "a cool near-shoegaze original") and Boys Like You — and 2 covers — a PG-rated You Oughta Know that included an Alanis singalong that filled the Rock Hall's glass pyramid and Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit. I loved every second of watching her completely own that massive stage and crowd. You can tell that she's living her best life. Norah did not win or place in the top 3, but that's not what truly matters, is it?
For more information, contact Jon at (440) 695-8044 or JHyman@Wickenslaw.com.
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