Are your employees consistently taking extended lunch breaks? Are they frequently absent or keeping their cameras off during video conferences? If so, they might be “moonlighting” while on the clock. Listen in as Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs chat with Exelon Business Services Company Assistant General Counsel Amy Bashore about the popular movie Julie and Julia, the risks associated with moonlighting, how employers can effectively monitor moonlighting within their organizations, and if gas stoves are better than electric.Continue Reading Managing “Moonlighting” in the Workplace: Julie and Julia
How to Manage Name, Image, and Likeness: Air
Companies can profit off their top employees by using their name, image, and likeness. However, there are limitations on an employer’s rights to do so. Troutman Pepper Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs chatted with fellow Partner Cal Stein about the popular movie Air and the implications surrounding employee name, image, and likeness.Continue Reading How to Manage Name, Image, and Likeness: Air
The Pros and Cons of Generative AI in the Workplace: The Matrix
For better or worse, generative AI is everywhere. Many companies are asking themselves: “Do we run from it or embrace it? What role can generative AI play in the workplace, and what should we do to stay ahead of the curve?”Continue Reading The Pros and Cons of Generative AI in the Workplace: The Matrix
Water Cooler Talk: Insights From ‘The Bear’ on Right and Wrong Ways to Manage Employees
Published in Law360 on August 7, 2023. © Copyright 2023, Portfolio Media, Inc., publisher of Law360. Reprinted here with permission.
In a survey of 3,000 workers, 82% said they would consider quitting their job because of a bad manager.Continue Reading Water Cooler Talk: Insights From ‘The Bear’ on Right and Wrong Ways to Manage Employees
How to Combat Corporate Theft: Office Space
Corporate theft can happen in any workplace. What type of employee is most likely to steal from the company or its customers? What can companies do to combat this? Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs chatted with Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis about the popular movie Office Space, employee misconduct and creative uses of technology to protect against corporate theft.Continue Reading How to Combat Corporate Theft: Office Space
Accommodation Requirements for Pregnant Employees Are Similar to ADA Protections
Q: Does the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) require workplaces to change their accommodation and leave practices in a significant way?
A: Potentially. The PWFA requires covered employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unless the accommodation will cause the employer an “undue hardship.” While 46 states offer some protection to pregnant employees, 26 states already have laws that have requirements that mirror the PWFA. Workplaces that do not already have accommodations for pregnant workers in place must change their accommodation policies to comply with the new law that went into effect on June 27.Continue Reading Accommodation Requirements for Pregnant Employees Are Similar to ADA Protections
Managing High Performers: Top Gun Maverick
High performers are crucial to organizational success but often are accompanied by challenges and sometimes even legal risks. Listen in as Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs chat with Shiftsmart Senior Vice President of Operations Kyle Smialek about the popular movie Top Gun Maverick and creative ways to get the best out of high performers.Continue Reading Managing High Performers: Top Gun Maverick
Employer Drug-Testing Policies Must Evolve With State Law
Published in Law360 on July 19, 2023. © Copyright 2023, Portfolio Media, Inc., publisher of Law360. Reprinted here with permission.
While many individuals are excited about the proliferation of state laws providing for medical and recreational use of marijuana across the country, inconsistencies in these state laws have made it difficult for employers to put in place consistent policies and practices on testing for marijuana as a condition of employment, upon reasonable suspicion, and post-accident. Employers are being forced to revisit their drug-testing policies not just because of changes to their state’s laws regarding medical and recreational use of marijuana, but also because it is becoming increasingly difficult to find employees who have not used, or do not use, marijuana. If employers want to continue testing for marijuana in states where use is legal, policies must be drafted carefully to account for the continued evolution of the law in this area.Continue Reading Employer Drug-Testing Policies Must Evolve With State Law
Managing Employee Burnout: Netflix’s Beef
What effects can employee burnout have on your company? Does your productivity, work product, and overall employee morale suffer when there is employee burnout? Can employee burnout lead to safety issues and a potential lawsuit? Listen in as partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs chat with Southern Company Associate General Counsel Kristie Klein to talk about the popular Netflix TV show Beef, the soothing effects of puppies, and creative ways to avoid employee burnout.Continue Reading Managing Employee Burnout: Netflix’s Beef
Musical Harassment: Ninth Circuit Finds Offensive Music in the Workplace Can Constitute Sexual Harassment
Q: Can sexually graphic, misogynistic music played in the workplace be considered sexual harassment even if it is not directed at a particular employee and found offensive by employees of both sexes?
A: Yes. On February 9, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded in the case of Sharp v. S.S. Activewear that sexually explicit, misogynistic music broadcasted throughout the workplace can constitute sex-based harassment in violation of Title VII.Continue Reading Musical Harassment: Ninth Circuit Finds Offensive Music in the Workplace Can Constitute Sexual Harassment