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What I've Been Reading This Week


While I watched some of the Democratic Presidential debate this past week to see if there were any breaking employment or labor law policies unveiled, nothing of substance was announced.  So while we could parse the specifics of the debate and try to find some way to shoehorn it into the blog, I think there are other developments that warrant more attention this week.

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


U.S. Soccer Federation Seeks to Block Class Action Certification in Gender Discrimination Suit

Readers will likely recall that the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team has filed a gender discrimination suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation and garnered significant attention over the past few months.  After settlement talks broke down at mediation back in August, this case is slowly moving forward to trial next May.  However, there are likely still quite a few legal maneuvers that both sides will play, including the U.S. Soccer Federation filing a motion on September 30th seeking to block class certification.  The U.S. Soccer Federation argues that because the team's top four players, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, and Becky Sauerbrunn earned (significantly) more compared to the rest of the team, these four players cannot adequately represent the class.  This is an interesting argument to make and likely one that will be met with derision from supporters of the suit.


Striking Teachers Embrace New Strategy to Win Public Support

Kathleen Foody at The AP wrote an article earlier in the week in which she noted that striking teachers across the country have started to adopt a new strategy while engaged in contract discussions:  Focusing the discussion on class sizes and student services.  As noted in the article, this "social justice" strategy has seen some positive results in the past, with striking teachers using these "talking points" to help garner public support for their strikes.  (Speaking in broad terms, it does not hurt to have these be the focal points of contract talks.  It is likely easier to get more public support by focusing on class sizes and hiring more support staff rather than getting into the nitty gritty of paid time off, benefits, etc.)  With teachers in Chicago threatening to strike, implementing this strategy could prove to be helpful in putting the teachers (and their union) in a better bargaining position.


Employees, Mental Health & the Workplace

A topic that often gets overlooked (or ignored completely) in the workplace is the mental health of employees.  Now while every situation is different and I am not going to specifically advise employers and employees alike on what to do when confronted with a mental health related matter in the workplace, David Greeneq at Thrive Global does a good job addressing the matter head on.  In particular, I call attention to the article’s suggestion that employers work to reduce the stigma around mental health and work to create an open dialogue with employees dealing with a mental health related matter.  Again, I remind readers that not every situation is identical and dealing with a mental health related matter in the workplace should be carefully handled.  When in doubt, consult an HR professional or employment law related attorney for additional assistance.

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