OnLabor

Law. Workers. Organizing.

Follow OnLabor on X
Subscribe via RSS

Author:Deanna Krokos

Deanna Krokos is a student at Harvard Law School

December 20, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

The Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission issued guidelines this week allowing employers to require workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to the workplace without implicating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Employers are authorized to use vaccine-related prescreening questions but must show the questions are “job related and consistent with business necessity” and avoid specific […]

December 6, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

On Thanksgiving, the Department of Labor submitted their “long-anticipated” tipped wage rule to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, threatening millions of tipped service workers with substantial wage loss. Currently, employers can claim a “tip credit,” paying workers little as $2.13/hour so long as 80% of their workweek is spent on tasks […]

November 22, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

ProPublica released a groundbreaking investigation tracing a new chapter of COVID-19-realted “enhanced unemployment” benefits: clawbacks. Several states are pursuing repayment of benefits disbursed under the federal “Pandemic Unemployment Assistance” (“PUA”) program, that aimed to provide unemployment funds to workers traditionally ineligible for state unemployment insurance. Now, states are auditing their program distribution and determining that […]

November 8, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

President-elect Joe Biden’s victory promises to reshape American policy and regulatory priorities throughout the administrative state.This weekend, BloombergLaw outlined some anticipated reforms for the incoming Department of Labor. Most pressing across the federal government is the coronavirus crisis as cases surge throughout the country. Many outlets express hope that the shift in leadership will bring […]

October 11, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

Healthcare costs and coverage dominated the democratic party primary in 2020, with numerous plans and policies being considered. A new report adds color to that conversation, showing that in 2020, employer-sponsored healthcare became more expensive across the board. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that annual family premiums increased by 4% this year, higher than the […]

September 27, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

This week, Eater published the account of Miriam Wojtas, a bartender working in Seattle during the covid-19 pandemic. Grounded in the bartender’s experience, the piece contextualizes and reifies some of the most pressing concerns about the pandemic. Miriam took the job after being laid off from another food-service position at the height of Seattle’s outbreak, […]

September 13, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

This week, The New York Times reported on the rampant sexual harassment faced by domestic workers classified as independent contractors. Handy, one of many “platform” companies accused of improper misclassification, faces criticism by workers and civil rights groups for failing to protect its workers from sexual harassment and abuse on the job. Cleaners report arriving […]

August 30, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

This week, the Economic Policy Institute published an analysis of the growing role state attorneys general (AGs) play in enforcing workers’ rights. Authored by Terri Gerstein, who heads the State and Local Enforcement Project at Harvard Law School’s Labor and Worklife Program, the report examines state enforcement actions since 2018, including initiatives that protect workers […]

Weekend News & Commentary— August 16, 2020

Aug 16, 2020 Deanna Krokos

This week, Reveal completed their investigative series “American Rehab” that follows and describes how thousands of individuals receive “work therapy” instead of addiction treatment after entering drug rehabilitation centers. The series documents how these individuals work for little or no pay, often over 60 hours per week and with little or no training. Reveal further […]

May 10, 2020
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

This week, the The New York Times provided further reporting on conditions in meat packing and processing plants. Focusing on a Tyson plant in Waterloo, Iowa, NYT described workers required to show up t crowded conditions with inadequate, often improvised protective equipment. More than 1,000 cases of covid-19 have been reported in this plant alone, […]

1
2
3
4
Older

OnLabor

Law. Workers. Organizing.

OnLabor is a blog devoted to workers, unions, and their politics. We interpret our subject broadly to include the current crisis in the traditional union movement (why union decline is happening and what it means for our society); the new and contested forms of worker organization that are filling the labor union gap; how work ought to be structured and managed; how workers ought to be represented and compensated; and the appropriate role of government — all three branches — in each of these issues.

Learn more about OnLabor

OnLabor is unable to accept unsolicited submissions.

Follow OnLabor on X
Subscribe via RSS

Contact: [email protected]
Site design: Jon White Studio

Sections

All Editorial Writing
All News & Commentary
From The Editor
From Senior Contributors
Analysis From Guest Voices
OnLabor In The News
All Featured Coverage
About

Connect

Follow OnLabor on X
Subscribe via RSS

Search for:

December 20, 2020

December 6, 2020

November 22, 2020

November 8, 2020

October 11, 2020

September 27, 2020

September 13, 2020

August 30, 2020

Weekend News & Commentary— August 16, 2020

May 10, 2020