A Federal Right To Online Drama In the Workplace?

Walter OlsonAccording to a widely discussed article by Ryan Grim in The Intercept, staff meltdowns over social justice issues have lately been paralyzing some well ‐​known progressive organizations. Meanwhile publications like the Washington Post have become the scene of pitched public social media battles in which writers and editors call each other out publicly over purported insensitivity or privilege. If some Biden administration officials have their w ay, dramas like these may soon be coming to a workplace like yours.It ’s all due to a little ‐​known and still‐​unsettled portion of the New Deal‐​era Wagner Act, more formally the National Labor Relations Act. While most of us may think of the NLRA as a law concerning collective bargaining and union organizing, it actually reaches further than that in language making it a breach of federal law for employers to retaliate against workers for certain “concerted activity” whether or not a union or organizers are present.HR Dive recently quoted Joseph Beachboard, managing director at law firm Ogletree Deakins, as noting that the 1935 lawprotects workers ’ rights toengage in concerted activity for mutual aid or protection. Historically, that referred to employees working together to secure better wages or hours, “but we have a new sheriff in town at the National Labor Relations Board, and her name is Jennifer Abruzzo, ” Beachboard said. Abruzzo is aiming to expand th...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs