Miscellaneous

A new HELLA GOOD social-media-discovery ruling for employers

May 25, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

Last week, I reported that a Pennsylvania state court had ruled that a plaintiff did not have to provide access to her Facebook page during discovery by accepting a “friend” request from defense counsel. That same week, another Pennsylvania state court was asked to resolve whether a plaintiff’s “privacy rights” would trump a defendant’s request to access the plaintiff’s Facebook and MySpace accounts to discover facts relating to the plaintiff’s claim for damages.

Pennsylvania has become a hotbed of social-media-discovery litigation. Who knew?

I break down the latest decision, which I predict will be a “go-to” for defendants and courts alike, after the jump.

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Can PA employees access their personnel files upon request?

April 28, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

Hey all! As I promised last night on Twitter, I’ve got nothing left in the tank for this blog post after watching my beloved Bruins defeat the hated Habs in overtime of Game 7 last night.

So, I’ll keep this short and sweet.

After the jump, I answer a question that many HR folks in Pennsylvania have asked me? Do we have to give employees access to their personnel files upon request?

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Calling all guest bloggers…

April 22, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

The Employer Handbook is looking for a few quaaludes guest bloggers.

If you think you have the chops to write a few hundred words on an employment-related topic of interest for businesses — especially those in PA, NJ, or DE — then

Smoke pot + grizzly bear bite (in the butt) = collect workers’ comp

April 4, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

Last month, the Montana Supreme Court opined that using marijuana “to kick off a day of working around grizzly bears” is “ill-advised to say the least and mind-bogglingly stupid to say the most” because “grizzlies are equal opportunity maulers, without regard to marijuana consumption.”

WTF?

I could go on, but you will have more fun reading this recent decision about an employee who smoked pot before his job at a bear park (surrounded by electrical fencing), got bit by a bear (of course), and petitioned for workers’ compensation benefits (and received them).

Can the EEOC legally recruit claimants over the radio?

April 1, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

The EEOC has been running this radio spot in Baltimore, Maryland:

“In connection with the class race discrimination lawsuit, the U.S. EEOC is looking for black individuals who applied for employment at or used to work for McCormick and Schmick’s or M&S Grill at the Inner Harbor. If you applied to work, or worked at either restaurant, please call the EEOC at 410-209-2208. Again, 410-209-2208.”

If you were M&S, what would you do? M&S got creative and sought an emergency order from a Maryland federal court to stop the advertisement.

Did it work? Find out, after the jump.

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Help Wanted: Must have #TigerBlood

March 8, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

Yesterday was a busy day for Charlie Sheen.

Warner Brothers officially fired Charlie Sheen from Two and a Half Men and #TeamSheen commenced its world search for the first #TigerBloodIntern. You can read the job listing here. What does it take to be a #TigerBloodIntern? #TigerBlood (of course). And you must be all about #Winning. The right candidate is expected to be “proactive, monitor the day-to-day activities on the major social media platforms, prepare for exciting online projects and increase Charlie’s base of followers.”

So what can employers learn from this?

Exciting News! I just made PARTNER at Dilworth Paxson LLP

February 14, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA0c_ECs0XA

Happy Valentine’s Day! XOXO — The Employer Handbook

February 14, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

Happy Valentine’s Day!

X.O.X.O.

– The Employer Handbook

A compassionate employer? Why not?

January 28, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

What do a foot of snow and a compassionate employer have in common? Find out after the jump.

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What none of us have the guts to send…except for one guy.

January 7, 2011 | by Eric B. Meyer

I love the last week of the year. Most people take vacation. Not me. When work is slow, I like to be in the office. It’s when the office gets crazy that I take my vacation, because I know there is always someone else around to shoulder the burden. I’m a team player like that.

But regardless of whether you’re like me and you worked during the final week of 2010, or you took the week off, we can all agree that this week — when everyone comes back to work — is the worst of the year.

Lots of people are in bad moods this week. And what is one thing you never want to do when you are in a bad mood? Draft a work email or letter to someone who may be responsible for putting you in that bad mood. You see, I’m a firm believer in the “24-hour rule” when sending strongly-worded correspondence. That is, I draft the communication, file it away, and re-read it 24 hours later to determine whether I should really be sending it. Nearly every time, I trash it.