I have done two previous posts (click here and here) on the sex harassment scandal in the Ohio Attorney General’s office.  The Columbus Dispatch provides an update on this situation that’s nothing short of amazing.  Keep in mind that what we’re talking about here is the office environment of the top lawyer in the state […]

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April 30–invaluable:  A word, meaning “beyond calculable value,” that is trotted out to describe the efforts of those who are getting canned . . . because what they went to work for and did every day in the end just didn’t have enough, um, value.

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I shouldn’t let Earth Day (April 22) pass without any mention at all.  As discussed on this blog previously, the green movement is being embraced by an increasing number of employers, which inevitably involves folks in human resources.
The person usually credited with beginning Earth Day is the late environmentalist and politician, Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin.  He […]

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In the California Employment Law Letter, there’s an article on the importance of taking whistleblowing seriously.
Check out the Idaho Employment Law Letter for a case about alleged racial harassment.
The Virginia Employment Law Letter analyzes a case about alleged religious harassment.
The Georgia Employment Law Letter addresses a new case about nonsolicitation clauses.
The Oklahoma Employment Law Letter deals […]

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I joked a couple of weeks ago that Pope Benedict XVI must be reading my blog.  I’ll tell you who aren’t reading it:  Wal-Mart’s chief executive officer and its board of directors.  If they are, they’re not paying attention.  (Chick here, here, here and here for what they missed or ignored.)
Wal-Mart’s CEO earned over $29 million in compensation for 2007, a 27% […]

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April 29–temp:  The true anthropologists of the workplace, who drop into an office for a few days or weeks, are horrified by what they see, and thank God they haven’t given up their dream of being an actor, artist, freelance, or similar higher calling; if filling in for an assistant on extended leave, will be expected […]

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As I noted last week, the Lilly Ledbetter Pay Fair Act is on hold for the time being.  It seems likely to stay that way until there is a new President and some change in Congress.  That it will be a big campaign issue is becoming more clear quite quickly.
In a blistering article in Slate […]

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April 26–team player:  An employee who will take a hit for the boss, is willing to sacrifice virtually all quality of life to the job, turns a blind eye to unethical or illegal behavior executed by higher-ups, and likely engages in copious kissing of ass.
April 27–tech bully:  An employee responsible for technical support of equipment […]

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I suppose the first kind of workplace violence was the old-fashioned workplace fight.  Fights still happen at work.  Sometimes, they involve some pushing and shoving.  Sometimes, blows are thrown and landed.  Fights obviously aren’t what you want going on at work–ever.
Almost all employers have rules against fighting on the job.  If you have a handbook, it’ll be in the handbook.  […]

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