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What I've Been Reading This Week


Although we are more than half way through the summer, The Economist published an article earlier this month which examined the decline of summer jobs available to teenagers.  Without providing a clear cut answer as to why less than half of the country's teenagers were employed last July (and I do not think there is a simple answer to this downturn in jobs), the article does provide an interesting analysis to address the topic.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


NLRB Nominations Advance to Full Senate Vote

On Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee voted to confirm President Donald Trump's two nominees to the National Labor Relations Board.  Both nominees, William Emanuel and Marvin Kaplan, were confirmed by a 12 - 11 vote along party lines in the Committee.  As expected, upon confirmation by the Committee, the nominees now move to the full Senate.  There is no set timetable on when the Senate will vote on the nominations, given the upcoming August recess and Republicans still planning how to proceed given the recent failure to pass their healthcare bill.  At this point, there appears to be enough support for both nominees to be confirmed by the full Senate...it is simply a matter of when Republicans choose to set the confirmation vote for these nominees to finally be confirmed.


Accepting Friend Requests on Facebook From Your Employees...What to Do, What to Do

Aliah Wright wrote a great article on what "steps" an employer might consider when an employee sends them a Facebook friend request.  Although Wright's article was written last year, it is still timely and a useful resource for employers to review when confronted with this situation.  While the article does not give a clear cut answer on what an employer should do when they receive an employee's friend request (and nor should it; every situation is different), I would caution employers to tread carefully here.  I know of one managing partner who does not connect with employees on social media (in any form...whether it be Facebook, Linkedin, etc.) until after they have left the law firm.  In these types of situations, I think taking a precautionary approach is often the best course of action for an employer.


The Decline of Summer Jobs Among Teenagers

Earlier this month, The Economist published an article that addressed the decline of summer jobs among American teenagers.  Notably, in 1978, 72% of all teenagers were employed in July (the peak month for low skill hourly jobs to be occupied by the youths of this country).  Last July, that number shrank to 43%.  Employers have typically relied upon teenagers (both high school and college students) to occupy these minimum wage jobs that often include scooping ice cream, mowing lawns, and working as lifeguards at community pools.  The article posits two reasons for this decline among teenage workers:  Well meaning adults and a changing economy.  Without going too in depth on either theory, I think it is plausible that with an apparent increase in the number of workers who are taking (and holding onto hourly jobs), there are simply fewer hourly jobs available to teenagers during the summer months.

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