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What I’ve Been Reading This Week


Heading into the homestretch of November normally means things are slowing down a bit with hearings, trial, etc., but I have found myself traveling more over the past few weeks than normal.  While that has kept me tied up, I did take some time the past few days to read through a few articles worth pointing out to readers.  Of course, with the 2020 Presidential elections upcoming, I expect we will come across more articles on how the candidates stand on particular labor and employment law related matters.  Consider the below two articles on 2020 candidates as an appetizer.

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


The Danger of Allowing “Ok, Boomer” In the Workplace

The phrase “Ok, boomer” has started to become more pronounced in recent weeks, as millennials and Gen-Z use it as a term to deride and dismiss baby boomers.  The National Law Review weighed in last week and pointed out that if the phrase is used in the workplace, there is the risk of employers being liable for discrimination against workers because of their age.  (The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and many state laws, prohibit discrimination against workers on the basis of their age.)  If the phrase “Ok, boomer” is allowed to seep into the workplace, it could form the basis for a discrimination or harassment claim.


Senator Bernie Sanders Earns Major Endorsement From Teachers Union

Last week, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders earned the endorsement of United Teachers Los Angeles, an influential union in California.  The endorsement is striking for a few reasons:  This is the first teachers’ union to hand out an endorsement this election cycle, as well as the fact that the union has thrown its support behind Sanders rather than Senator Kamala Harris (one of the California’s Senators.)  Not to worry for Senator Harris though; she recently picked up the endorsement of the United Farm Workers.  With unions expected to play a major role in the 2020 Democratic nomination process, each union endorsement helps further establish a candidate’s claim as the ‘labor friendly’ choice for President.


7 Tips For Improving Workplace Culture

As any good Human Resources professional will tell you, creating (and maintaining) a positive, safe, and productive work environment is paramount to the continued success of a business.  An article was posted on Monday which identified seven tips for employers to implement to improve their workplace culture.  Now while the article has tailored several of the tips to those in the hotel and service industry, there are still a few useful ideas for readers, regardless of the industry in which you work.  One of the potentially more useful ideas has to do with implementing bystander intervention techniques to help quell harassing or threatening situates they arise.  While every tip might not be appropriate to implement in your workplace, this article should still serve as a helpful read.


Where the 2020 Candidates (and President Trump) Stand on Paid Leave

Paid leave has certainly been a topic of much conversation over the past few years, right?  (In fact, Wednesday’s Democratic Presidential debate featured a question within the first hour in which Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Andrew Yang all weighed in on their support for paid leave.)  HRDive posted an article (updated through November 20th) which identifies where each of the 2020 candidates for President (as well as President Donald Trump) stand on paid leave.  (Apologies to Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick; this article only addresses the candidates that have formally announced their candidacies.)  While not everyone has an announced plan, the article does note whether a candidate has supported other proposals in the past or campaigned alongside politicians pushing a prior proposal.  Bear in mind that positions on the matter can (and likely will) change.  For the time being, this article should serve as a useful primer on the topic.


Updated: U.S. House of Representatives Passes Workplace Violence Bill

Yesterday, I made note of H.R. 1309, a workplace violence bill that was set for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.  In broad terms, the legislation seeks to provide greater protections for healthcare and social workers by requiring their employers to implement violence protection programs.  As the article from Business Insider reports, the legislation passed yesterday with a 251-158 vote in favor.  The legislation now moves over to the Senate for further debate, consideration, and possible vote.

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