Lauren Godles is a student at Harvard Law School.
Summer is heating up, and so is the Uber antitrust lawsuit. Judge Jed Rakoff’s most recent decision in the case became public on Monday, and it allows Uber Technologies Inc. to be added as a defendant in the case. The original lawsuit named only the company’s CEO, Travis Kalanik. This addition could trigger the arbitration clause that the plaintiff, Uber passenger Spencer Meyer, likely sought to avoid by not naming Uber in the original complaint.
Employers have cut down significantly on health and wellness programs in the last year, according to a new study by the Society for Human Resource Management. Wellness programs can consist of anything from yoga classes to smoking cessation incentives, but the jury is still out on which, if any, are most effective. OnLabor recently explained why companies that pay employees to get more sleep face both legal and implementation problems. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that corporate wellness programs can cause companies to lose 50 cents per dollar spent, which helps to explain the decline in programs this year.
In other wellness news, a pioneering 32–year longitudinal study shows that working long hours results in significantly worse health outcomes for women than for men. The study found that women who worked 60 hours or more over the 32 years had triple the risk of developing diabetes, cancer, heart problems, and arthritis compared to those who worked only 40 hour weeks. On the other hand, men who worked longer hours than their peers saw better health outcomes in some areas, including heart and lung disease—though their risk of arthritis did increase. These staggering results suggest that female employees have far more to worry about than the wage gap.
Finally, the Supreme Court will consider the President’s appointment powers for the second time in two years. In NLRB v. SW General Inc., the Court will review President Obama’s appointment of Lafe Solomon as Acting General Counsel of the NLRB . Obama nominated Solomon while Solomon was already filling the post in an acting capacity, which the D.C. Circuit held to be a violation of the 1998 Federal Vacancy Reforms Act. SW General Inc. provides ambulances services in Arizona, and the NLRB found that it had committed an unfair labor practice while Solomon was acting General Counsel. They contend that the finding was invalid, since Solomon lacked the authority to sign off on the finding. The Supreme Court will not review the underlying unfair labor practice. Read more about this case, which has huge implications for the next President and all his or her federal appointments, on SCOTUSblog and POLITICO.
Daily News & Commentary
Start your day with our roundup of the latest labor developments. See all
October 20
Korean unions oppose labor exemption bill; Portland city workers prepare for strike; UPenn grad student union looks to dismiss university filing
October 19
FDA reverses course on policy prohibiting off-duty union activity; FAA and NATCA reach deal to secure pay increase for air traffic controllers.
October 18
Federal judge again halts cancellation of the Bureau of Prisons’ CBA; tabletop gaming workers face roadblocks in union recognition.
October 16
Department of Labor reduces wage-and-hour enforcement at unionized workplaces; Fain's victory poses question of federal monitor's extension.
October 15
New reporting examines the rollback of child labor protections; California tries to block a strike; NLRB charges Wisconsin mental health provider with firing workers during union drive.
October 14
Eleventh Circuit overturns ERISA exhaustion rule; DHS finalizes removal of automatic renewal for work permits; AFGE challenges SSA over flexible scheduling policy.