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

Post a Comment

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,...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Vetoes Minimum Wage Hike

A few months ago, readers might remember that I pointed out that the New Jersey Legislature had voted to approve a minimum wage hike in the state .  Under the approved legislation, the minimum wage rate would rise to $10.10/hour in the next year and at least $15/hour over the next five.  (The current minimum wage rate in the state is $8.38/hour).  In that article, I had noted that the bill was then going to go before Governor Chris Christie for his approval or veto. As I had suggested previously, I thought that the Governor would likely veto the bill based upon his prior actions and comments on similar legislation.  Well, a few days ago, Governor Christie did just that and vetoed the bill on the grounds that it "would trigger an escalation of wages that will make doing business in New Jersey unfathomable."  Pointing to the increase in hourly minimum wage rates, the Governor referred to the bill as a "really radical increase."  (It is interesting to c...
Post a Comment
Read more