Skip to main content

What I’ve Been Reading This Week


I think I probably spent more time in airports on layovers this week than I did in my actual office.  Unfortunately, that is sometimes what happens when trials and mediations are set rather far apart, a few days in a row.  While that left me little time to comb through articles this week, I think the two articles I highlighted below are well worth a read.

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


A Primer On Statewide & Local Paid Sick Leave Laws in California

For those employers and employees in California (or those simply looking for a bit of information on the laws in the state), I refer you to this primer which provides a concise overview of the statewide and local paid sick leave laws.  This PDF chart includes information on which employees are covered, how much paid leave is provided for, how the leave can be accrued, whether the leave rolls over, etc., etc.  Even for those that have a good handle on these paid sick leave laws, it would not hurt to give this chart a review.


Effort Made to Rescind Waterloo's Ban the Box Measure

Earlier this week, City Councilwoman Margaret Klein moved to rescind a ban the box measure in Waterloo, Iowa.  The ban the box measure, approved by a 4 - 3 City Council vote back in November is set to take effect July 1, 2020.  The ban the box measure, the first of its kind in Iowa, prohibits city and private employers from asking about an applicant's criminal record until later in the hiring process.  Notably, a lawsuit had previously been filed to prevent enforcement of the ban the box measure on the grounds that it violated a 2017 Iowa law that prohibited cities from adopting ordinances that "exceed or conflict with the requirements of federal or state law...relating to hiring practices."  It is expected this challenge will be heard by the City Council shortly and would certainly be a development to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

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

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
Post a Comment
Read more