“He was running down the street when they shot him in his tracks The only thing agreed upon is he ain’t coming back About the only thing agreed upon Is he ain’t coming back There won’t be any trial So the air it won’t be cleared There’s just two sides calling names Out of anger …
Some days, it feels like we’re taking two steps back, without even the moment of illusion of progress with one step forward. So it’s about time- long past time- we had some good news for workers’ rights in Kentucky. Here it is! Wage theft is a huge problem in Kentucky (and everywhere across America). When …
EmpowerWest. Short for “Empower West Louisville”. Shorter still for “Black and white churches joined together for the empowerment of racially-segregated Louisville’s predominantly-black West End.” Income inequality (the gap between rich and poor) and wealth inequality (the widening gap between people who have and people who have darn near nothing) is bad enough no matter the …
As the saying goes, “We’re living in interesting times.” That’s putting it way too mildly. The new saying is, “We’re living in divided times.” America is red and blue, liberal and conservative, Democratic and Republican, in or out, up or down. All this division can be exhausting. People of goodwill and balanced temperament, who don’t …
People say it to me all the time. They say, “I know it, but I can’t prove it.” Or, “How are you going to prove it?” How do you prove an employer’s illegal intent to discriminate? How do you prove harassment? How do you find enough evidence of wage-hour violations to win? In short, I …
People sometimes call me while they are still employed. They’re being harassed, and they don’t know what to do about it. Or, they think termination is looming: it’s just a matter of time. They don’t know if they might get fired, but they’re upset. Or, they’re sure they have unpaid wages coming to them, but …
I recently wrote about whether or not people who work are truly management for purposes of determining overtime qualification or exemption. It boils down to this: If you’re really a manager and on salary, you’re exempt from overtime. If you’re not really a manager, no matter what they call you, and you’re hourly, you’re entitled …
Discharge from employment, “getting fired”, can be really traumatic. And bewildering. The initial shock leaves you reeling. The sense of betrayal by people you thought were loyal friends hurts. The worry about what will happen to you and yours keeps you up at night. Clear your head. Take it one step at a time. Step …
Hourly. Salary. Independent contractor. Gig worker in the sharing economy. In the decentralized, subcontracted work world, who’s responsible for paying you what the law requires? Is it the customer? Is the contractor you report to? Is it the big business above them? All or none of the above? Our federal and state labor laws about …
Insubordination. Work now, grieve later. Wrongful termination. What do these mean? I confess, I’ve long struggled with “insubordination”. Though giving and taking orders is foundational for harmony on the job, it’s that has marked progress through the years. Where would we be if the heroes of the past had only done what they were told? …
