We at Case + Sedey love employment law, mainly because we love helping employees but also because the news that comes out of the workplace is always interesting and, oftentimes, hilariously unbelievable. In a new (hopefully) weekly installment of the Workplace Week in Review we will highlight the best of that news. This week, we learned how *not* to manage employees, that Boomers are returning to work and that Congress can, actually, get something done.
Worst Boss of the Week: An Olive Garden manager in Kansas sent a memo to her employees complaining about their “staggering” absences. In the memo she forbid them from missing work for any reason, saying, “if you’re sick, you need to come prove it to us. If your dog died, you need to bring him in and prove it to us.”
Setting aside the total a**hole nature of this email, the manager’s suggestions also violate or would violate a number of employment laws, including disability and medical leave laws, not to mention OSHA regulations which, while I am no OSHA expert, must certainly prohibit bringing recently deceased animals into a food establishment.
Retirees Returning to Work: Fearing inflation and getting a bit bored, retirees are returning to work in record numbers. And good thing, because the job market continues to grow and someone needs to whip those Quiet Quitters into shape.
Congress does something! Realizing that the current Supreme Court may take away more individual rights, Congress voted to protect gay marriage. For those paying attention, gay couples have enjoyed this right since 2015 when the Supreme Court issued its Hoberfell decision. But with the Supreme Court recently undoing decades of protection for women, Congress did what it should have done years ago and enshrined this right in federal law.
Ending on a High Note: In an ongoing effort to entice workers, some employers are offering an unusual perk: psychedelic therapy as part of their benefits packages. We don’t quite know what to think of this yet but stay tuned. No doubt tripping at work will give rise to all kinds of legal claims.
Have a great weekend everyone. Next week look for Week in Review: Holiday Party Edition.
