Unemployment rates are down – way down. In April 2020, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 14.1%1 and the U.S. unemployment rate was 14.7%.2 In May 2022, Wisconsin’s rate was 2.8%, a record low, while the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6%.3
The Department of Workforce Development’s processing of unemployment claims today shows vast
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‘That’s So Meta:’ Workplace Harassment Issues in a Virtual World
Many individuals are familiar with online video games, such as FIFA, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Last of Us that permit players to play and communicate with others online while seated at their Xbox or PlayStation consoles.
Augmented Realty (AR) games, such as Pokémon-GO, superimpose a digital setting into the players’ own real environment, thereby incorporating virtual…
‘Policy Oscillation’ in Full Swing at the National Labor Relations Board
Regardless of whether one identifies as pro-labor, pro-management, or somewhere in between, most would agree that the National Labor Relations Board is a political animal. Board doctrine often shifts to reflect the philosophy and goals of the political party in power at the time.
Critics of the board accuse it of “flip-flopping.” Others more graciously…
‘Political Beliefs’ and Employer Mask Mandates
Many requests for exemptions from COVID-19-related work rules involve religious liberty or medical disability, but what if an employee objects simply on political grounds?
Madison’s Equal Opportunities Ordinance,1 which protects 24 classes from discrimination, recognizes that employees should not be punished because of “political beliefs” that do not impact job performance. While employers should…
‘Political Beliefs’ and Employer Mask Mandates
Many requests for exemptions from COVID-19-related work rules involve religious liberty or medical disability, but what if an employee objects simply on political grounds?
Madison’s Equal Opportunities Ordinance,1 which protects 24 classes from discrimination, recognizes that employees should not be punished because of “political beliefs” that do not impact job performance. While employers should…
Determining an Employee’s Vaccine Status
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) vaccine and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) has been a whirlwind since the beginning of November, with stays being put in place and stays being dissolved by different courts.
It is unknown as to whether the OSHA vaccine and testing ETS will survive, but if the Supreme Court…
Determining an Employee’s Vaccine Status
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) vaccine and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) has been a whirlwind since the beginning of November, with stays being put in place and stays being dissolved by different courts.
It is unknown as to whether the OSHA vaccine and testing ETS will survive, but if the Supreme Court…
Wisconsin Law Does Not Require Employers to Pay for COVID-19 Testing
On Nov. 9, 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), tasked with enforcing Wis. Stat. section 103.37, clarified that the statute does not require employers to pay the cost of COVID-19 testing where the testing is offered as an alternative to vaccination and where the federal government has issued a soft mandate that requires…
College Athletes and the Right to Organize
On Sept. 29, 2021, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel Jennifer A. Abruzzo (the GC) issued GC Memorandum 21-08 – Statutory Rights of Players at Academic Institutions (Student-Athletes) Under the National Labor Relations Act.
Pursuant to the GC’s prosecutorial discretion regarding the National Labor Relations Act (the Act), Abruzzo set forth her position…
Six Recommendations: OSHA’s Updated COVID-19 Guidance
COVID-19 has taken a great toll on employees and workplaces. Of primary concern for employers is the safety and health of employees. Up until June 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had not provided formal guidance on dealing with COVID-19 in the workplace.
In June 2021, OSHA published
Protecting…