Connecticut Employment Law Blog Insight on Labor & Employment Developments for Connecticut Businesses

Tag Archives: social media

Social Media: “Friend” or “Foe”? Worksmart Presentation Upcoming

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight

“Is social media a good thing?” That question is typically on the minds of people who don’t use it for personal or business reasons.  But I would argue that is the wrong question to be asking.   After all, are we still wondering if e-mail is a good thing? Of course not. We take the good… Continue Reading

You’ve Got a “Friend” In Me: A Free Webinar on the Latest in Social Media & Employment Law

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social Media

With apologies (credit?) to Randy Newman, you’ve got a friend in me.  Or at least an online “friend.”  It’s better than having enemies, right? Regardless, you’re cordially invited to join me and others for another Pullman & Comley, LLC webinar on employment law.  I’ll be leading the charge this time around with this webinar entitled: “With ‘Friends’ Like These: Where… Continue Reading

Workplace Issues Now Grow on “Vines”; Why Employers Need a Policy More Than Ever

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social Media

As I said in an earlier post, I’ll be speaking about Social Media and the Workplace, as part of WESFACCA’s “Day of Privacy” presentation later this week.  One of items I hope to touch on is the fact that with the proliferation of apps and social media, it is growing increasingly difficult for employers to catch up…. Continue Reading

WESFACCA’s “A Day of Privacy”: Social Media & The Workplace

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social Media

On Thursday, April 18th, the Westchester/Southern Connecticut Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (known as “WESFACCA”) holds an event that you’re not going to want to miss. Entitled “KEEP IT SECRET. KEEP IT SAFE. Privacy Developments, Requirements and Practical Applications for Corporate Legal Counsel”, the day-long program in Darien, Connecticut, will focus on things… Continue Reading

Should You Fire Employees Who Use (or Misuse, However Defined) Social Media?

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social Media

A few days ago, The New York Times, ran a series of short essays from people on its “Room for Debate” page. The question it posed? “Should employers get tough with strict policies about social media activity, so that employees face consequences at work for what they say online?” Not surprisingly, the opinion’s ranged from… Continue Reading

What’s New at the General Assembly? Anti-Employer Bills, Says CBIA

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Legislative Developments

There’s been little press over what is going on at the Connecticut General Assembly this spring.  With no big employment law issue (other than minimum wage) dominating the headlines like Paid Sick Leave in the past, you might think that there isn’t much happening. But as the Connecticut Business and Industry Association highlighted in a… Continue Reading

Facebook Password “Privacy” Bill Is An Answer In Search of a Problem

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Legislative Developments, Social Media

The Connecticut General Assembly’s Labor & Public Employee Committee today is considering drafting a proposed bill “to prevent current or potential employers from requesting or requiring that employees or potential employees provide passwords to their personal accounts as a condition of their employment.” I won’t mince words. Proposed Senate Bill 159 is a bad idea.  It’s a solution in search of… Continue Reading

The Last Post About Social Media & Employment Law Ever. (Maybe.) (Not Really.)

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Labor Law & NRLB, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social Media

Yesterday, The New York Times — about a gazillion years after this blog and other employment law blogs talked about it ad nauseum — wrote their definitive piece entitled on how “federal regulators” are “ordering employers to scale back policies that limit what employees can say online.” The headline?  “Even If It Enrages Your Boss,… Continue Reading

A New Year’s Resolution

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance

Five years is a long time. In the time span of the Internet, it might as well be a lifetime. So, after five years of doing this blog on nearly a daily (ok, business daily) basis, it’s time for a change. Now, I’m not retiring like other bloggers have.  But it’s time to recognize that… Continue Reading

Who Owns Your Company’s Social Media? Are You Sure?

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Litigation, Social Media

In my presentations on social media this year, I’ve talked a bit about the Phonedog v. Kravitz case where an employer sued a former employee who continued to use the company Twitter account he had started. When the employee left, he merely changed the Twitter account’s handle to his own name and took the 17,000 Twitter… Continue Reading

Oversharing at Work: When Gossip Turns Into Something More

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social Media

Do you know some of your co-workers deepest, darkest secrets? And did you want to know those secrets in the first place? Odds are, somewhere, sometime, you’ve had a co-worker that has shared a little too much information. Indeed, in this Facebook age, “oversharing” is turning out to be an issue; some employees just seem… Continue Reading

Odds & Ends of Employment Law Articles

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Social Media

For those who enjoy reading about employment law (and, as readers of this blog, I’m sure that many of you qualify), there are a bunch of new articles on the subject.  While they may not break new ground, they offer some additional perspective on subjects that I’ve talked about quite a bit here. Among them:… Continue Reading

New Laws Place Restrictions on Employers Seeking Passwords

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social Media

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak to the HR Compliance Conference in San Francisco about legal issues related to hiring.  In some ways, everything old is new again on this topic.  Issues like the Fair Credit Reporting Act, or the EEOC’s guidance on criminal background checks, have been around for years yet… Continue Reading

Five Things To Know About Paid Sick Leave, NLRB and Other New Developments

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Social Media, Wage & Hour

At yesterday’s labor & employment law seminar, we had both Heidi Lane, a Prinicipal Attorney with the Connecticut Department of Labor, and Jonathan Kreisberg, Regional Director of the NLRB’s Hartford Office, speak to attendees about the latest developments under both Connecticut and federal law. But for those who couldn’t make it, here are five notable things they discussed: 1)… Continue Reading

Example #438 of Why You Need a Social Media Policy

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social Media

Thanks to all who came and attended our employment law seminar at the Hartford Club today. As a reminder, we’re running another one on October 18th.  More information is available here. At today’s seminar, we talked about the need for companies to implement a social media policy and also about how social media can get out of… Continue Reading

NLRB Keeps Doing What It Always Does. Why Is Anyone Surprised?

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social Media

I’ll admit something that might seem a little unusual and ironic:  I’ve grown a bit tired about writing about the NLRB and social media.  Perhaps, it’s because I’ve seen too many law firms and lawyers issuing newsletters, blog posts, and alerts each time the NLRB says something, anything, about social media.  Because people on social media… Continue Reading

Five Years Later, The Biggest Impact on Employment Law Is….

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Social Media

This week, this blog celebrates it’s fifth anniversary (on Wednesday, more specifically). All this week, I’m going to look back on a post or reflect on this blog through the years. Today, I’ll address what the biggest impact has been on employment law over the last five years. (Hint: It’s not the Employee Free Choice… Continue Reading

Facebook Posts From An Employee’s Termination Meeting? Plan for It

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social Media

On Friday, I had the opportunity, along with my law partner, David Atkins, to talk about some of the pitfalls for in-house counsel of social media for WESFACCA.  (My thanks to Lee Cushman, the Executive Director, for the invite.)  One of the items that caught some of the attendee’s attention was my warning that company… Continue Reading

OMG! DUST NLRB Using Tech 2 Reach PPL re: PCA? UNTCO

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations

Last week, employment blogs and news outlets were all abuzz about a new page by the National Labor Relations Board on its website about “protected concerted activities”. I’ve been trying to figure out whether or what to write about on it.  (If you’re concerned about the new webpage, then first go to the Delaware Employment Law… Continue Reading

Five Free Online Resources for Local Employers and Businesses

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social Media, Wage & Hour

As a lawyer to businesses of all sizes, I get lots of questions. But I remain surprised that many people are not aware of some of the great free online resources that are available to businesses that can make their lives easier.  Much of it is due to the overwhelming nature of the Internet. It’s hard… Continue Reading

Guest Post: NLRB Acting General Counsel Addresses At-Will Disclaimers and More at CBA Annual Meeting

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Class Actions, Highlight, Labor Law & NRLB, Social Media

On Monday, the Connecticut Bar Association held its annual meeting. Lots of labor and employment law topics were covered, some of which I missed. I’ve asked one of my bar colleagues, Rita Trivedi — who will be a Teaching Program Fellow at Columbia Law School in the fall — to share her insights on the… Continue Reading