Call Me Karnak: How I Did On My Predictions For 2015

It's time to see how I did on my predictions for 2015. I have to say, I did pretty well. See for yourself. Here's what I predicted, and what really happened:

1. Intern sexual harassment: I predicted that Miami-Dade County would follow Broward County's lead and pass an ordinance banning sexual harassment of interns. Boy, was I wrong. Broward's proposed ordinance stalled indefinitely. Miami-Dade did nothing to protect interns. I predicted a bill would be introduced in the Florida legislature, but that Republicans in charge of both houses and the governorship would block it. I was right. On the national front, I correctly predicted we'd see a move afoot in other states to pass a law similar to the ones passed in California, New York, Oregon and Illinois. This year Connecticut and New Jersey passed legal protection for interns and a bill was introduced in Michigan.

2. Micro-unions: I predicted that micro-unions would start popping up more in 2015, but it seems that there wasn't exactly a rush to unionize small groups of employees of bigger employers. Still, there were a few micro-unions that were voted in in 2015. A small group of Volkswagen skilled trade employees were approved to vote on unionizing. Pharmacists at a Target in Brooklyn voted in a micro-union, giving unions a foothold for the first time in the mega-retailer. It wasn't the woe-is-me rush that anti-union folks predicted, but it's a start.

3. Minimum wage: I predicted that 2015 wouldn't be as big a year for increases because it isn't an election year, but that we'd see some more states and local governments raise the minimum wage to over $10/hour. Rhode Island passed an increase to $9.60 an hour, so very close but no cigar. Cities did better by their workers in 2015. Los Angeles and Sacramento raised their minimum wage to $10.50. Mountain View, Santa Clara and Palo Alto, CA and Santa Fe, NM went up to $11.00. Mountain View's rate will gradually reach $15.00 in 2018. Portland, ME went to $10.10.

4. Obama as employee advocate: I predicted that President Obama would continue to use executive orders to push for employee rights, and he certainly did that. I predicted that his push to pass a paid sick leave law would fail and that members of Congress with elephantitis would do everything they could to make sure workers remain oppressed and that certainly happened. For more about what President Obama did with his pen, check out my blog post on it here.

5. Gay marriage: I predicted that we'd continue to see marriage equality expand. Yep. Called that one.

6. Marijuana: I predicted that legalized marijuana and medical marijuana would continue to expand, but not one new state legalized it in 2015. However, Delaware finally restarted its medical marijuana program this year and opened its first dispensary. Illinois also opened up its first dispensary. Some states added certain medical conditions to their approved list of conditions for which marijuana could be prescribed. So there was movement, but not the surge I expected. Several states are trying again next year. I predicted that employees who use marijuana for medical purposes would continue to get fired due to lack of laws protecting them even when they have a prescription, and that definitely happened.

7. Republican roll-back: I predicted that Republicans would try to roll back worker rights. I predicted they'd attack the Fair Labor Standards Act. They did, trying to pass legislation to allow comp time instead of overtime pay. I said they'd attack the NLRB. They did, as they tried to reverse NLRB's ruling on franchises as joint employers and on simplifying union elections. I said they'd try to repeal Obamacare. They did. I said President Obama would veto these efforts. He did.

8. Noncompetes come into question: I predicted we'd start to see some antitrust investigations of the more extreme and abusive noncompete agreements. Michigan legislators took a swing at noncompetes, as did Maryland and Rhode Island legislators, but didn't manage to ban them yet. I said there will be another effort in Massachusetts to ban them, but it will likely fail. So far, there's no ban there, but legislation is still pending. I predicted no states would ban them yet, but that eyes would begin to open on how abusive they can be. I was actually wrong, since Hawaii banned noncompete agreements for many tech workers this year. Senator Franken has introduced legislation to ban noncompetes against low wage workers. A $415 million settlement in a no-poach agreement case should also shake some employers up to the implications of illegally barring employees from working for competitors.

9. Gridlock: I predicted that zero would actually happen on the national level. ENDA, Civil Rights Tax Fairness Act, FAMILY Act, and Arbitration Fairness Act. Nothing happened.

10. Ban the box: I predicted more states and local governments would ban employers from asking about arrests and convictions on applications, and would limit the use of convictions found in background checks to those that are actually relevant to the job sought. Georgia, Hawaii, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Virginia brought the total to 19 states and over 100 municipalities that have passed some form of ban-the-box legislation, policy or executive order. President Obama has also banned the box for federal employers.

Overall, I think I did pretty well in predicting 2015. Next, I'll share my predictions for 2016.

How To Go To Your Office Holiday Party And Still Stay Employed

It's that most horrid time of the year: time for office holiday parties. Since some of you are likely going to have to contact someone like me after you get fired for what happened at your office party, I would like to remind you about how to stay employed despite the office festivities.

Here is my warning about the top behaviors that will get you fired at your office holiday party:

1. Drinking: First of all, if you are an alcoholic and can't be sure you won't drink if you attend, then don't go. If your boss is insistent, you can ask for a reasonable accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act to be excused from attendance. If you do drink, limit yourself to two drinks tops, then switch to soda. I'm serious here. The number one way to get fired is to drink too much.

2. Dancing: Many people are fired or disciplined for "inappropriate" dancing. What's inappropriate? It's in the eye of the beholder, and the boss, customers, vendors and your coworkers are the beholders. When in doubt, sit it out. Any moves that imitate sexual conduct (grinding, gyrating, rubbing) are dangerous if colleagues are present. If you're dancing with a colleague, then be very careful. You don't need a sexual harassment complaint in the new year.

3. Driving: A DUI can get you fired. If you don't believe me, check out my article 9 Ways A DUI Can Destroy Your Career. If a colleague or friend tells you to hand over your keys, do it. There's always Uber or a taxi. It's way cheaper than defending against a DUI/DWI charge and losing your job.

4. Mistletoe: Kiss your spouse or date under the mistletoe, but not a colleague or, god forbid, your boss. Seriously.

5. Romance: After a few drinks, colleagues start to look pretty attractive. Office romances are dangerous. If you have a one-night-stand or party makeout session with a coworker (or worse, the boss), expect repercussions at work. Sure, many couples meet at work. My parents did. But tread carefully. No means no. If you break up, stay away and don't retaliate. Persistence does not pay in an office relationship. You can get fired for sexual harassment if you pester a coworker for a date. Don't accept the invitation to the colleague's room. If there's a real romance, take it slow and be sure before you take it between the sheets.

6. Pressure: Don't pressure anyone to attend an office party. They may have religious objections to attending. Maybe their disability prevents them from coming, or they have a spouse with a disability. You don't want to get charged with religious or disability harassment.

7. Games: Some offices have party games. The temptation is to be lewd or bawdy. Avoid making sexual innuendos, telling off-color jokes, or making other comments that may be deemed inappropriate or offensive.

8. Singing: If the office loves karaoke, avoid songs with curse words, inappropriate lyrics, or offensive undertones. If you're singing with a colleague, avoid anything overtly sexual. Also avoid any sexual gestures while singing.

If you think I'm the Grinch, think again. It's your boss and HR that are the holiday Grinches. I'm just trying to keep you employed. Ho ho freaking ho.

Florida Democrats Take Another Swing At Pro-Employee Legislation (That Won't Pass)

Another legislative session coming up, some more pro-employee legislation that will not pass. But here’s what some Florida Democrats (okay, I didn’t check them all, but c’mon, what are the odds that any of the co-sponsors of any pro-employee laws are Republicans?) are trying to pass in 2016 to help Florida employees:

$15 minimum wage: SB 6 and HB 109 would raise Florida’s minimum wage to $15/hour

ERA: SCR 74 and HCR 8001 would ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Better late than never.

Sexual Orientation: SB 120 and HB 45would add sexual orientation and gender identity to prohibited categories of discrimination in the workplace.

Social Media Privacy: SB 186 would prohibit employers from demanding your social media passwords.

Unemployment and Domestic Violence: SB 188 protects employees who leave or lose jobs due to domestic violence from being disqualified for unemployment benefits.

Paid Sick Leave: SB 294 and HB 205 would require state and local governments with at least 9 employees to provide paid sick leave to employees. Why only government employers? I'm really not sure that's what the sponsors meant to do, but that's what it says employers are.

Paid Family Leave: SB 384 and HB 603 would require employers to provide paid leave similar to FMLA for birth or adoption of a child and care in the first year, but it applies to employees who work at least 20 hours a week, applies to employers with at least 15 employees, and would permit up to 6 weeks of protected leave. Creates a rebuttable presumption that any demotion or discharge taken within 90 days against an employee who takes leave is a violation.

Ban the Box: SB 448 and HB 353 would prohibit employers from asking about criminal history in initial employment applications.

If you support any of these bills, start calling and writing your legislators now. Especially the Republicans. If any of these proposed laws get overwhelming support, they may just have a chance. My prediction: DOA.

Those Anti-Muslim Rants Are Going To Get You Sued

In light of the attacks in Paris and the end of Jihadi John, I'm guessing there will be lots of workplace cooler talk about Muslims and Middle Easterners in the news. Inevitably, someone will go on a rant about Muslims. That person will get you sued unless you shut them down speedy quick.

A recent example is a lawsuit filed after a Muslim employee was taunted by coworkers with cries of, "Allahu Akbar" when he was on the phone and setting his password as, "BinLaden1." The coworkers claim it was all in good fun. Not surprisingly, the Muslim employee was not amused.

So yes, it is sometimes tempting in anger over a big news story to vent frustrations on someone who looks or sounds different. I've met people from the West Indies, India, and even South America who looked to coworkers or customers slightly Middle Eastern and who were subjected to horrid treatment: name calling, offensive cartoons, moving them to the back of the workplace so customers won't see them, pranks. Calling a dark-skinned person a terrorist, asking them if they are going to cut off your head, or blaming them for ISIS is stupid. It's also illegal. So is refusing to hire an applicant who wears a hijab, bowing to customer preferences not to deal with a Muslim employee, and firing an employee when you find out that they don't hold your religious beliefs.

To HR people, I would urge you to shut down any such activities immediately. You may not be popular, but you might just save the company from a lawsuit. You might remind offenders that all Muslims are not any more responsible for the attacks in Paris than all Americans are responsible for the actions of Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber).

To Muslims and Middle Easterners (and people who "look" Muslim) going to work this week, don't despair. Take good notes of any incidents, with dates, locations, and witnesses. Print out any offensive emails or written materials. Then report it, in writing, to HR. Call it, "Formal Complaint Of Religious/National Origin Harassment." Lay out how you have been treated differently than non-Middle Eastern/non-Muslim employees (or Anglos, etc.) and any harassment you encountered due to your national origin and/or religion.

If they won't shut it down, contact EEOC or an employment lawyer in your state. You have the right to work in a place free of religious and national origin-based harassment.

Beware The Trojan Horse Of "Rewards" With Noncompetes

Your boss and HR deliver the great news: the company loves and appreciates you. It wants to reward you. Maybe they're "giving" you a retention bonus, stock, options, or some other reward that sounds like a heap of money for free. But beware. It may be a Trojan Horse. If it sounds too good to be true, it could be really, really bad.

Lately, I'm seeing more and more so-called "rewards" coupled with noncompete agreements. Employees that were free to leave and work for a competitor are being lured into signing an agreement that they won't work for a competitor for a year or two after they leave, or won't solicit or work for clients for a year or two. Some say you can't contact clients at all, which can make Thanksgiving really awkward if your son is one of your customers (don't laugh - an employer actually tried this with someone).

Here are some things to watch out for when you're handed a reward package that requires you to sign a lengthy contract:

What is cause for termination?: Sometimes the company will tell you that this contract means you can only be fired for cause. That they will have to pay you out for months or a year or more if they don't have cause. But does that really protect you? Better look at how it defines "cause."

If you can be fired for "poor performance," who decides what is poor? Do you get written notice and an opportunity to improve? Is it subjective or objective? If it's subjective, you aren't protected much at all.

If "cause" is "violation of company policies," that sounds reasonable, doesn't it? But when is the last time you read those policies? I bet there is a policy saying you can't use the company email for personal use? Do you email your husband to say you're running late or to remind him to pick up the kids? You just broke policy. You can be fired without notice and get zippo.

If you signed a noncompete agreement, you may be bound by it even if you're fired without notice or severance. It's better if you can negotiate "cause" that is real, such as if you're fired for embezzlement, fraud, failing to perform specific duties, conviction of a crime involving dishonesty or other measurable offenses.

What does it say you can't do after you leave?: If it says you can't contact vendors after you leave, then you may not be allowed to shop at, say, Office Depot if they buy their paper from the office superstore. Can you buy a copier or printer when you leave? Maybe not if they do business with Canon or Ricoh. Can you fly on a plane? If they do lots of corporate travel you may have to take a bus for a year or two. Sure, this all sounds ridiculous. But I'll tell you truly that there is no argument too ridiculous that your employer couldn't find some management-side lawyer to make the argument if they wanted to give you a hard time. Try to negotiate reasonable restrictions before you sign. If there are key customers they don't want you to call on, try to have them listed. If you worked in the industry for 20 years before you came to the company, make sure you aren't signing over your right to call on your contacts.

Can you afford not to work in your industry for a year or two?: Let's say it says you can't work for a competitor or a customer for a year or two. That means you're sitting out of the industry with a large gap in your resume. Even if they offer to pay you to sit out that long, unless you're getting ready to retire that gap can hurt you way longer than the noncompete period. Employers don't like to hire the unemployed. The stats on hiring the long-term unemployed are terrible. So while sitting on a beach for a year or two sounds tempting, are you sure you will be employable when you're ready to go back to work? A better clause to negotiate is one saying you won't be bound if you're fired without cause, and negotiate a reasonable definition of cause, and negotiate for a reasonable restriction like 6 months that will allow those contracts you were working on to go stale but not your skills.

Beware the vesting: If it says you'll get $200,000 in stock, but it vests 10% a year, then you could sign, be fired a week later, they could take back the reward, and you may still be bound by the noncompete in some states.

Sometimes, it's best to say no to a reward even if you think the company is well-intentioned. If, when you point out these problems, they won't work to address your concerns, but claim they would never enforce such a provision, maybe that's true and maybe that isn't. Assume it will be enforced before you sign and assume that it can be interpreted in the most ridiculous way possible. The time to negotiate a reward agreement is before you sign. If you say no to it, sometimes you can negotiate for something you'd rather have, like more vacation time, real stock that isn't on a vesting schedule, or a truly non-at-will contract.

If they won't negotiate and get hostile when you refuse to sign, maybe their intentions aren't so good. You could be headed for a reorganization or layoff. That reward may be a Trojan Horse. Beware bosses bearing gifts.

How Discrimination Can Kill You

Pretty much every day I fight employers who don't take discrimination seriously. HR people and management tend to think people who complain about discrimination are poor performing whiners. But discrimination is real, and it really happens in the workplace.

Not only can discrimination cost you money in lost wages and benefits, but now there are some studies saying discrimination can damage your health or even kill you. So, HR and management folks, please take discrimination complaints seriously. If you don't, you might be helping to kill one of your employees. And if you're a victim of discrimination, take action to report it.

Here are just some of the studies showing discrimination can kill you:

Weight discrimination can kill you:  "Weight discrimination was associated with an increase in mortality risk of nearly 60%  . . . This increased risk was not accounted for by common physical and psychological risk factors. . . . In addition to its association with poor health outcomes, weight discrimination may shorten life expectancy." This is pretty strong evidence that weight shaming kills. "These findings suggest the possibility that the stigma associated with being overweight is more harmful than actually being overweight," say the authors of the study.

Age discrimination can kill you: "Perceived discrimination was associated with increased mortality risk in a general population of older adults. The results suggest that subjective experience of interpersonal mistreatment is toxic in old age. This study adds to a growing literature documenting discrimination as an important social determinant of health."

Discrimination can cause cancer: Perceived discrimination may contribute to somatic disease. . . . These findings suggest that perceived experiences of racism are associated with increased incidence of breast cancer among US Black women, particularly younger women.

Discrimination can cause insomnia, smoking and poor eating habits: "After adjustment for age and SES, everyday discrimination was associated with more smoking and a greater percentage of dietary fat in men and women. . . . Everyday and lifetime discrimination were associated with fewer hours of sleep in men and women . . . . Burden of discrimination was associated with more smoking and fewer hours of sleep in women only."

Racism can cause illness over a lifetime: Racism in childhood can cause lower cortisol levels, resulting in insomnia, depression, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Bottom line: If you are the victim of discrimination, it may be killing you. Don't just sit there and do nothing. Report it to HR under your company's discrimination policy. Do it in writing because if you don't then they may deny you reported it. Make sure you say what type of discrimination it is: race, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or some other protected status. Don't just say you're being bullied or harassed, because then you aren't legally protected against retaliation.

If the company doesn't take you seriously, then contact an employment lawyer or file a charge of discrimination with EEOC. Don't let a bigot shorten your life.

It's Time To Revamp Florida's Unemployment System

In an excellent piece by Marcia Heroux-Pounds of the Sun-Sentinel, the severe deficiencies of Florida's unemployment system are exposed. Bottom line is that our lovely governor and his friends in the legislature have made it almost impossible for people who have lost their jobs to collect unemployment. If they do collect, they are put through hell, and then the government tries to screw them out of their money by demanding it back.

As a taxpayer, I have to ask: why are we allowing our state government to torture people who have lost their jobs? We have a ridiculously low maximum weekly rate of $275, which is barely grocery money for many people with kids. We max out at 14 weeks, when most states give benefits for 26 weeks. We make these folks who have lost their jobs, which is as traumatic as losing a loved one, jump through hoop after hoop for this piddly amount of money. And we're finding more and more ways to justify excluding them from the system by blaming them for their unemployment.

This affects Florida taxpayers directly in the wallet. Unemployment is essentially an insurance policy that employers pay for each employee as part of their payroll. That means every single Florida employee should be protected. By denying these benefits, we end up forcing the unemployed onto food stamps, welfare, and other taxpayer-supported benefits.

I think it's time to turn the tables. We have at-will employment in Florida, like 48 other states (Montana is the only state without at-will employment). That means employers can fire employees because they are in a bad mood, didn't like the employee's shirt, or for no reason at all. While many states have exceptions to the at-will doctrine, like violations of public policy, implied contract, and violating the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in an employment relationship, Florida has none of these.

So we, as taxpayers, are footing the bill for employers who make arbitrary employment decisions. Why not make employers who fire employees without just cause pay for their arbitrariness? Why not lift the maximum rate employers can be charged to these arbitrary employers? Why skew the system to punish employees but not employers?

Here are some things we could demand, as voters, to change the system:

Raise the rates: If employers are found to have abused the system by firing an employee without cause, raise their unemployment rate to cover 100% of the unemployment compensation payments being made for that employee, minus any payments they already made into the system for unemployment compensation. Employees who abuse the system have to repay. Why not employers?

Ban scofflaws from hiring: Employees who owe repayments to unemployment are barred from applying again until they have repaid in full. If employers fail to make the payments for their arbitrary firings, ban them from hiring new employees until they are caught up in payments. Why should they be allowed to continue their arbitrary practices without paying the piper?

Mandatory training: Employees who apply for unemployment have to jump through hoop after hoop to get unemployment. Employers who are found to have fired without just cause should have to take mandatory training, which could be done online, on employee management, progressive discipline and what constitutes just cause for firing.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of my tax dollars supporting employers who have huge turnover due to at-will employment. It's time to make employers pay if they don't treat employees with a reasonable level of fairness.