A tectonic shift in marijuana laws nationally over the past five years has been little felt on America’s trucking routes, according to a Truckload Carriers Association webinar last week whose featured speakers included Goldberg Segalla partner Adam R. Dolan. Truck drivers still must test negative for marijuana use to get and keep their jobs, and fleets still must maintain drug-testing programs.
Articles Discussing General Human Resources Issues.
Department of Justice Releases Guidelines for Effective Corporate Compliance Programs
On May 1, 2019, the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released updated guidance for prosecutors to utilize in assessing whether an organization had in place “an adequate and effective corporate compliance program.”
High-end Job Recruitment Site Exposes at least 13.7 million Users with Unprotected Server
A security lapse has exposed the data of at least 13.7 million user records of the high-end job recruitment site, Ladders. The company left a cloud-hosted search database exposed without a password. Ladders took the database offline less than an hour after the news website TechCrunch alerted the company after learning about the potential breach from a security researcher, Sanyam Jain.
Artificial Intelligence, Robots, Reskilling & Ethics – Fourth Revolution Board of Director Imperatives & the Chair’s Evolving Role
The Agricultural Revolution resulted in increased labor and land productivity, catapulting population growth and decreasing the agricultural portion of the labor force. What resulted was an urban workforce, paving the way for the Industrial Revolution. Moving from hand production methods to machine tools and factories, rapid industrialization led to increases in average incomes for workers. The Industrial Revolution created the modern-day labor market model. A Third Revolution came about in the mid-twentieth century, coined the “Information Revolution.” It heralded computerization and electronic technology. Today, we are experiencing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which focuses on artificial intelligence (Al), robotics, and various combinations of technologies. This revolution is characterized by a fusion of many technologies and is evolving exponentially faster than past revolutions.
Automation & Artificial Intelligence: TIDE at the Tipping Point
The discussion of the dramatic impact of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace began some time ago. At first, the conversation was largely limited to economists, futurists, and computer engineers. Recently, however, this critical conversation has exploded in the public consciousness, drawing in employers, employees, newsmakers, policymakers, social scientists, and the public at large.
Paid Sick Leave: Deconstructing the Patchwork to Develop a Way Forward
For years a local outlier, paid sick leave laws have now proliferated across the United States. The laws impact employers of all sizes, regardless of whether their operations are in only one state, in multiple states, or nationwide. It is increasingly challenging for companies in multiple jurisdictions to develop policies that comply universally – or even with just two laws. Without fail, and despite some overlap, each paid sick leave law seems to contain at least one provision that can impede the establishment of uniform practices.
Collaborative Robots: Progress, Potential and Overcoming Challenges for Adoption
In this podcast, Natalie Pierce, the Co-Chair of Littler’s Robotics, AI, and Automation Practice Group and Guillaume Desmoulin of Littler’s Paris office (Fromont Briens) discuss collaborative robots – or cobots. They explain cobots’ increasing integration into the workforce in both the United States and Europe and identify growth opportunities in several industries. Natalie and Guillaume also explore how businesses can utilize robots in their various forms to increase productivity and safety, while avoiding potential risks.
DOL Provides Roadmap to Avoid Misclassification of Gig Workers
Executive Summary: On April 29, 2019, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) released a new opinion letter, FLSA2019-6, examining whether service providers for a virtual marketplace company (VMC) are employees or independent contractors. This opinion letter provides a road map for online brokers of services provided by independent contractors to ensure they are not misclassified as employees.
Can Hackers Break Into GPS Trackers Used For Your Fleet?
The answer may be yes.
GPS trackers enable businesses to derive greater efficiencies and productivity from their employees and their vehicle fleets. But, when businesses deploy this technology, HR departments often raise valid concerns about employee privacy on and, in some cases, off the job.
Automation of Jobs and Managing Employee Morale
Natalie Pierce, the co-chair of Littler’s Robotics, AI and Automation Practice Group, and Jeff Burnstein, the President of the Association of Advancing Automation, discuss automation and robotics in the workplace, and their effects on morale. As Natalie and Jeff review how growing businesses institute new technologies, they address how employers can preserve employee morale by proactively explaining the benefits of automation initiatives, such as reduced injuries and better job satisfaction. Natalie and Jeff also explain how businesses that integrate automation successfully experience increased productivity and profitability, and thus gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Dear Littler: Am I the Only GC Who Doesn’t Fully Embrace Implicit Bias Training?
Dear Littler: I am General Counsel at a large, well-known company. We handle all Diversity & Inclusion initiatives for our company within our Legal Department, which I oversee. Our HR team is really pushing us to approve company-wide “implicit bias training.” I’m having a hard time endorsing the idea, and I can’t help but wonder: Am I the only GC who has concerns about this kind of training? What am I missing?
Small Michigan Medical Practice To Close Following Ransomware Attack
Small and midsized enterprises (SMEs) continue to be targeted by ransomware, phishing and other cyberattacks; the consequences of which could be devastating. Those consequences include putting SMEs out of business, which is unfortunately the case for one small medical practice in Battle Creek, Michigan, as reported by HIPAAJournal.
Compass® Newsletter – Spring 2019
Articles in this issue D.C. Download Top Tips for Effective Investigatory Interviews It’s About (Over) Time: The DOL’s New Part 451 Overtime Rule Digging into Data: Electronic Discovery in the Digital Age
Just Culture–What Is It and Can It Minimize Patient Harm and Promote a Positive Workplace Culture?
Healthcare employers, along with other high-risk industries, continually look for ways to minimize risk and to promote a positive work culture for employees. One approach is the implementation of a “just culture” framework.
As Wearable Technology Booms, Sports and Athletic Organizations at all Levels Face Privacy Concerns
As wearable and analytics technology continues to explode, professional sports leagues, such as the NFL, have aggressively pushed into this field. (See Bloomberg). NFL teams insert tiny chips into players shoulder pads to track different metrics of their game. During the 2018-2019 NFL season, data was released that Ezekiel Elliot ran 21.27 miles per hour for a 44-yard run, his fastest of the season.