Skip to main content

What I've Been Reading This Week


A lot of the efforts to raise minimum wage (both at the federal and state levels) has caught my eye.  In particular, Seattle's efforts to raise its minimum wage rates to an extraordinarily high rate of $15/hour was one of the more interesting topics I came across this week.  As always, below are a few articles that caught my eye this week.


Fashion Rules at Work: The Do's and Dont's

Every once in a while, I come across a good article on business related dress codes at work.  This is a different take on that topic and includes a few thoughts on what an employer can do if they implement a dress and grooming policy for employees.


Attempt Made to Block Seattle's $15/Hour Minimum Wage Hike

For those who have been following the recent developments, Seattle has passed a law to go into effect in April 2015 to raise the minimum wage in the city to $15 per hour.  To the surprise of few, many retailers, restaurants, and chain stores oppose this measure.  Earlier this month, the International Franchise Association asked a federal judge to block portions of the $15 per hour law.  The suit claims that franchisees would be "irreparably harmed and face a competitive disadvantage" because the minimum wage law treats franchisees as large employers solely because they are associated with national corporations.  This suit could become a blue print for other companies and interest groups that oppose minimum wage hikes across the country.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...

San Diego Rolls Back Vaccine Mandate For City Workers

Last Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted to do away with the vaccine mandate for city employees. The city’s vaccine mandate that was in place required city workers to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  Perhaps to this surprise of no one, the city’s policy came under fire with 14 employees being terminated and over 100 other employees resigning.  With the coronavirus subsiding, including in Southern California, the San Diego City Council took action. Now, bear in mind, the repeal of the vaccine mandate does not take place immediately. With that being said, the mandate will be repealed March 8th.  I suppose the question now is, what other cities or regions follow San Diego’s lead? For additional information:   https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-01-24/san-diego-repeals-controversial-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-citing-drop-in-cases-hospitalizations