Mackenzie Bouverat is a student at Harvard Law School.
In a near party-line vote this Sunday, the Senate took its second-to-final step toward seating Amy Coney Barrett on the country’s highest court, thwarting Senate Democrat’s efforts to stall the highly controversial confirmation. Trump’s third nominee to the Supreme Court, Barrett’s confirmation would consolidate a 6-3 conservative majority on the court. The confirmation is expected to be completed today.
As new coronaviruses cases continue to break records across the country and as ICUs near capacity, work-from-home is no longer popularly regarded as a temporary measure to curb the spread of the virus — increasingly, popular media reports on the phenomenon not as a novelty, but as an expectation of daily life for the foreseeable future (for, they often leave out, the white-collar workforce). Advice columns thus assail us with a dizzying litany of “strategies” to work “successfully” (productively) from home: avoid distractions, avoid domestic stresses, meal prep, meditate, dress for the office, focus on output (not hours worked), ensure that your family leaves you alone, distract your children, exercise, somehow keep your “home” life separate from “work,” use your lunch break to perform domestic chores, buy more bandwidth, classically condition yourself, schedule conference calls during your baby’s nap-time, keep a dedicated office space, make your calendar visible to your coworkers, block news apps from your phone (as distressing information is too distracting), “clean your damn desk.” And, of course, “don’t forget about career advancement.” Despite the apparent need to contend with the considerable challenges of working from home, BBC reports that only 12% of Americans desire a return to the office.
Far fewer columns advise on-site workers. For the lucky restaurant workers who remain employed, their job is just the same as before — except they must now comply with strict state regulations and against the backdrop of widespread resistance to safety regulations by customers. Capacity limits restrict tips; in August, restaurant sales were down an average of 34%. And the prognosis for the industry is dire: as dropping temperatures restricts outdoor dining and ushers in a “second wave” of infections, restauranteurs can expect further contractions in sales.
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June 20
Three state bills challenge Garmon preemption; Wisconsin passes a bill establishing portable benefits for gig workers; and a sharp increase in workplace ICE raids contribute to a nationwide labor shortage.
June 19
Report finds retaliatory action by UAW President; Senators question Trump's EEOC pick; California considers new bill to address federal labor law failures.
June 18
Companies dispute NLRB regional directors' authority to make rulings while the Board lacks a quorum; the Department of Justice loses 4,500 employees to the Trump Administration's buyout offers; and a judge dismisses Columbia faculty's lawsuit over the institution's funding cuts.
June 17
NLRB finds a reporter's online criticism of the Washington Post was not protected activity under federal labor law; top union leaders leave the Democratic National Committee amid internal strife; Uber reaches a labor peace agreement with Chicago drivers.
June 16
California considers bill requiring human operators inside autonomous delivery vehicles; Eighth Circuit considers challenge to Minnesota misclassification law and whether "having a family to support" is a gendered comment.
June 15
ICE holds back on some work site raids as unions mobilize; a Maryland judge approves a $400M settlement for poultry processing workers in an antitrust case; and an OMB directive pushes federal agencies to use union PLAs.