Why do we celebrate Labor Day?
And should it be celebrated on a Tuesday instead?
It’s one of those holidays that we celebrate, but my guess is that most people have no idea on the answer. But several (many?) years ago, I touched on this on the blog and I thought it would be fun
So last week I provided a recap of a few of the labor & employment law bills still being kicked around the legislature. From talking with a few folks in on the process, here are some other bills to keep an eye on (whether in this original form or as an amendment to an existing
The 2016 Connecticut General Assembly is about one month from ending its term so it’s a good opportunity to see what bills are still floating out there.
I’ll do a bigger recap when we get close to the end of the session but if you have any interest in the bills (and, if you’re an
The first few days of the new Connecticut legislative session are, dare I say it, kind of fun from an outsider perspective. That is, if you know what you are looking at.
Why? Because it’s the time when legislators start submitting “proposed” bills. But these proposals are far from polished products. Sometimes, these proposals are
As I take some extended time off from the office, frequent guest poster Chris Engler takes a look back at some of the earliest background on labor history.
Because I majored in history in college, I’m a firm believer that understanding history is of great benefit when planning for the future.
James “Larry” Foy passed away earlier this week. (His memorial service is scheduled for tomorrow in Southwick, Massachusetts.)
For those of us in Connecticut that were blessed with having had a case with him as an arbitrator or mediator — and there were many — his death will leave a substantial void.
Indeed, Larry
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been seeing more tweets from human resources types and mainstream reporters using the phrase “wage theft”. Two recent examples? William Tincup (who runs the popular online DriveThruHR show that I appeared on a while ago) recently tweeted:
RT Wage Theft Another Assault on Workers’ Compensation http://t.co/iXmbHnASUL @jongelman
— William Tincup, SPHR (@williamtincup) April 23, 2014
And The New York Times labor reporter, Steven Greenhouse yesterday tweeted:
NYT Editorial: Wage Theft Across the Board–Sorry to say, wage theft hits low-wage & middle-class workers alike. http://t.co/4xnMqgtyEr
— Steven Greenhouse (@greenhousenyt) April 22, 2014
Yes, even The New York Times Editorial Board is beginning to use the term with surprising carelessness suggesting “law enforcement officials” (a term typically reserved for police officers, not Department of Labor officials) routinely use it.
It’s time for employers to beware this phrase and fight its usage because, in my view, it’s really an attempt to turn something often unintentional, into something nefarious and intentional.
Or as Mandy Patinkin’s character in The Princess Bride said: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
What DO I mean? Well, think of the word, “theft” and most of us think of the intentional taking of something that belongs to someone else. Like your jewelry, or your iPhone. Even your company’s trade secrets.Continue Reading “Wage Theft”: The Trendy Phrase That May Not Mean What You Think It Means
Since the last time I published a list of labor & employment law lawyers to follow back in 2012, there are just a bunch of you out there now using Twitter. (And I presume you’re already following me @danielschwartz, right?)
So, it’s probably time to update my list of labor & employment law-related people
For many years, employers set up firewalls at work that prevented employees from going to certain websites.
Didn’t want your employees shopping at Amazon? Block the site.
Didn’t want your employees posting updates at Facebook? Block the site.
But here’s the reality: Smartphones have made those firewalls meaningless. Information, as I’ve said before, wants to
That headline sort of says it all, doesn’t it?
Yes, as of this morning, I am now a partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP in Hartford, CT in its Labor, Employment & Benefits Practice Area.
It’s big for a partner to change firms in Connecticut. Not nearly as big as, say Nate Silver and his