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Labor Relations / Unions

Employees can tell it like it is (or isn’t)

04/06/2023
The National Labor Relations Board has issued a broad decision invalidating these non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements when offered in conjunction with severance pay in a union setting. Even offering a severance package contingent on employees signing these agreements is out of bounds, according to the decision.

NLRB okays secret workplace recordings

04/03/2023
Here’s a new worry for employers, thanks to the National Labor Relations Board: Your employees may be secretly recording conversations you have with them for later playback even if you have robust “no recording” rules in place.

Case of the Week: Apply your dress and grooming policies consistently

03/24/2023
You probably have a policy that spells out your dress and grooming rules, which may limit certain employee clothing choices that might offend customers, clients or co-workers. But how you enforce that rule may mean the difference between winning quick dismissal of a discrimination lawsuit or a big jury award against your organization.

What employers should (and should not) do when employees go on strike

03/16/2023
Labor strikes by employees were up a shocking 52% in 2022 as compared to 2021. Employee collective work stoppages are on the rise, and there is no indication of them abating any time soon. Do you know what to do if your employees walk off the job?

Think twice before closing down to stop union organizing

02/27/2023
Employers that fear the spread of union-organizing efforts might be tempted to shut down the location that first votes in favor of union representation. That strategy can backfire. The shutdown is sure to prompt employees to file unfair labor practices charges with the National Labor Relations Board, which is quite likely to order the employer to reopen.

First union formation at Microsoft is a lesson in employer/employee relations

01/06/2023
ZeniMax Workers United/Communication Workers of America is the first studio at Microsoft to secure union representation, and it’s the largest group of union-represented quality assurance testers at any U.S. game studio. That in itself has been making headlines since the news broke on Jan. 3. But perhaps just as notable is how Microsoft handled the situation.

NLRB set to get funding boost; expect more enforcement

12/22/2022
If Congress’ $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package passes before it recesses for the year, one pro-union, pro-worker agency stands to see over $25 million in new funding. The National Labor Relations Board, which enforces the National Labor Relations Act, has in recent years been cash-strapped and its enforcement power therefore curtailed. Since 2010, the NLRB has lost 30 percent of its workforce.

NLRB expands remedies for unfair labor violations

12/20/2022
The National Labor Relations Board, which administers the National Labor Relations Act, has become bolder in devising new penalties for employers it finds guilty of committing unfair labor practices.

Microsoft gamers voting on company’s first U.S. union

12/13/2022
Three hundred quality assurance workers for a subsidiary of Microsoft are voting through December on whether to form a union.

NLRB is watching: Don’t spy on your employees

11/15/2022
Concerned by the brave new world of digital supervision, the NLRB issued a memo on Oct. 31 warning employers not to use intrusive or abusive electronic surveillance.