As I highlighted last month, Vine – a new video-sharing app — is quickly infiltrating the workplace. Since my original post, I’ve been keeping tabs on what people are doing on it. And it isn’t pretty. Videos seem to be increasing with people using hashtags like “#work” or “#worksucks” daily. They are also using hashtags… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: workplace
Workplace Issues Now Grow on “Vines”; Why Employers Need a Policy More Than Ever
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social MediaAs 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
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaOn 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
Employees Who Smoke (Part II) – The Exception for Health Insurance Plans
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and RegulationsSo yesterday, I made a convincing case that employees who smoke outside the workplace can’t be treated differently than your non-smokers. But what about your health insurance plans? Doesn’t the state law prohibit your plan from imposing higher premium costs on those smokers? Well on first glance it appears yes. The state law would seem to… Continue Reading
Refusing to Hire People Who Smoke: The Connecticut Ban
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource CenterWhen I was away last week, one of the headlines from my alma mater caught my attention. The University of Pennsylvania Health System announced that effective July 1st, they will refuse to hire anyone who smokes or uses tobacco. No doubt some of you are either lauding this step, or shaking your head in disgust. Could an… Continue Reading
Tragedy
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceI had another post scheduled to go up this morning, but the news of the Newtown elementary school shooting makes it irrelevant. As of midday Friday, the reported death toll was 27, with over a dozen kids included. As a father myself, the news is horrifying. Absolutely horrifying. A few years ago, there was another mass shooting… Continue Reading
Federal Court Suggests Connecticut Constitution Protects Private Employee Speech
Posted in LitigationEarlier this summer, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued two decisions that held that the free speech protections in Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 31-51q were limited by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Garcetti v. Ceballos. To grossly oversimplify, an employee (public or private) whose speech related to their official job duties, was not entitled to protection. In… Continue Reading
Summer Reading: Is the “Mommy Porn” in “Fifty Shades of Grey” Workplace Safe?
Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) ComplianceIs someone bringing “Mommy Porn” (The New York Times words, not mine) into the workplace? Yes, THAT book, 50 Shades of Grey, has been making the rounds. And chances are, with Memorial Day weekend upon us, more than a few people will be bringing it to the beach, or perhaps to the lunch room next… Continue Reading
Medical Marijuana Bill Includes Restrictions For Employers
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Legislative DevelopmentsThe General Assembly over the weekend passed a comprehensive bill that permits individuals to use marijuana for palliative purposes. The bill is expected to be signed by the Governor this month. Besides just permitting individuals to use marijuana, it has several important provisions that will impact employers in Connecticut. Unfortunately, as the history of medical marijuana… Continue Reading
A Day of Social Media for Employers — A Workshop Through WESFACCA
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social Media850 million people on Facebook can’t be wrong, can they? A large group of in-house counsel at major Connecticut and New York companies don’t think so. They understand that social media is not going away and that there are lots of advantages (and risks) to using social media. WESFACCA (the Westchester and Southern Fairfield county chapter… Continue Reading
Employee’s Speech Against Employer May Be Protected by First Amendment
Posted in LitigationEver since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Garcetti v. Ceballos that an employee’s speech pursuant to the employee’s official job duties was not protected by the First Amendment, employers have attempted to use that case as a shield against free speech lawsuits by employees. But a decision by a federal court in Connecticut late… Continue Reading
Super Bowl Office Pools in Connecticut – What Box Are You In?
Posted in Featured, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and RegulationsIt doesn’t get much better than this for Connecticut residents. Giants vs. Patriots for the Super Bowl. In a state where the loyalties are divided, a Super Bowl rematch from four years ago is nirvana. And with such interest and enthusiasm, friendly wagering among friends will no doubt follow. But what happens when those people… Continue Reading
Will General Assembly Consider Repeal of Workplace Smokers’ Rights Law?
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative DevelopmentsLet’s say you’re an employer in Connecticut. And you want to keep your health insurance costs down and promote a “healthy workplace”. After all, its a new year and a new year is built for resolutions like quitting smoking. No less than The New York Times did an article a few weeks ago about how… Continue Reading
A Guide to Breastfeeding in the Workplace
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource CenterIf you’ve been with this blog since it’s inception, you probably recall a few posts here, here, and here that I did early on about what employers needed to know about the breastfeeding in the workplace laws. Now, the CHRO in conjunction with the Connecticut Departments of Public Health and Labor, and the Connecticut Breastfeeding coalition,… Continue Reading
Followup from Presentation on Goofs & Gaffes in Workplace
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaToday, I had the opportunity to speak at a seminar on Goofs and Gaffes in Social Media at the Social Media Summit sponsored by the Hartford Business Journal. In my section, I focused on the importance of developing a social media policy. I’ve talked about it before on the blog, but there are a few… Continue Reading
FAQ on Applying Performance Standards to Employees with Disabilities
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Discrimination & Harassment, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource CenterAt the core of every employment relationship is the expectation that the employee will perform the job satisfactorily. But what happens to those performance expectations when an employee has a disability? As the federal government has acknowledged, The Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits “employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities, generally do[es] not impinge… Continue Reading
Get Your New NLRB Posting From…The NLRB
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and RegulationsEarlier this month, I told you that effective November 14th, the NLRB is requiring yet another posting for your workplace. The posting will, in some ways, look familiar to employers that have had unions; similar postings may go up around elections or other union-related issues. But this new poster is different in some ways because… Continue Reading
NLRB Shifts Workplace Landscape, As Expected; New Posters Required Soon
Posted in Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and RegulationsAs I mentioned last week (when in Connecticut, we were focused on Irene), the NLRB has been busy in August issuing new rules and new rulings. Some people are expressing surprise at the shift seen in these rules and disgust that prior NLRB rules are effectively being overturned. But none of this should be surprising… Continue Reading
Workplace Resources for Hurricane Irene
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) ComplianceThe news this morning for Connecticut is grim. Hurricane Irene is heading straight for us. It is shaping up to be the worst storm the state has faced since Hurricane Gloria back in 1985. I’m old enough to remember Gloria. And it wasn’t pretty. Even areas around Hartford (where I was at the time) were… Continue Reading
New Book Published: Think Before You Click
Posted in Highlight, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social MediaDespite authoring this blog, I must confess that I always thought it would be neat if I could author a book. I’m pleased to announce that I can check one thing off my bucket list, at least in part. I can now announce the publication (finally) of ” Think Before You Click: Strategies for Managing… Continue Reading
Technology, The Workplace and Bin Laden
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaOn Friday, I had the opportunity to speak at the ABA National Symposium on Technology in Labor & Employment Law in New York. In the presentation, I talked about the importance of social media tools like Twitter is having in the workplace and legal profession. I noted how I have used Twitter to get my… Continue Reading
Upcoming Presentations: Technology and the Workplace Is THE Hot Topic
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceThere’s no doubt that over the last couple of years, technology has been a huge driver of changes in the workplace. We’re now beginning to see lots of presentations and seminars discussing those changes and the interplay that such changes is having on the law. Here are some of the upcoming conferences and meetings I’ll… Continue Reading
Smoke & Mirrors – Beware of the “Newest Trend” on Smoker-Free Workplaces in Connecticut
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and RegulationsThe New York Times loves spotting trends. Here’s the latest: Workplaces are moving from smoke-free to "smoker-free" places, particularly in the health care arena. I hate to break it to The New York Times, but this is far from new. Indeed, nearly three years ago, I blogged about it, noting "there’s been a lot of… Continue Reading
Time to Modernize Workplace Laws: What Aspects Can Be Updated?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceLet’s go back to 1935. You remember that time, right? Well, in 1935, Babe Ruth retired from baseball. A gallon of gas cost 10 cents. Igor Sikorsky was still working on developing the helicopter in Connecticut. And we were still 10 years away from even ideas like Dick Tracy’s Two-Way Wrist Radio. It was also… Continue Reading
About Daniel Schwartz
Trusted advisor. Experienced employment law attorney. Bar leader. Award-winning author. Noted Speaker. "Legal Rebel". All can be said to be apt descriptions of Daniel Schwartz, a member of Pullman & Comley. More +
Follow Me on Twitter
Join the Discussion on Facebook
Subscribe to this blog via RSS
View My Linkedin Profile