I felt like I was watching a New Year’s Eve special last night with all the countdowns to midnight. Unfortunately (or fortunately) there was no Ryan Secrest,no ball dropping, and no confetti. Instead, the count down was for when the government would “officially” shutdown.
In a previous post (Noncompete Agreements – A Hurdle to Employment and Innovation?), we discussed research that suggested noncompete agreements hinder innovation.
Expanding on why innovation is hindered, in any context in which a noncompete agreement is entered into e.g., an employment relationship, a founder whose start-up is being acquired, or an owner selling his
Noncompete agreements and other restrictive covenants are customarily found in employment agreements and provided for in the sale of a business.
In the employment context, companies simply do not want a former employee to take its business and set up shop or to go work for a competitor. In connection with the sale of a
On August 6, 2013, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal jurisdiction that includes Michigan) ruled that provisions in employment agreements that shorten the statute of limitations period in which employees are permitted to file claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Equal Pay Act (EPA) are invalid.
Specifically, in Boaz v
Noncompete agreements have become a staple of the employment relationship. These agreements are intended to give employers the ability to protect their business against unreasonable and unfair competition. Such competition usually takes the form of a former employee directly competing against the employer either by starting a similar business or jumping ship for competitor.
It’s gettin’ so a businessman can’t expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can’t trust a fix, what can you trust? For a good return, you gotta go bettin’ on chance – and then you’re back with anarchy, right back in the jungle.
Johnny Caspar, played by Jon Polito, Miller’s Crossing
It is no understatement that celebrity chef Paula Dean has seen her world fall apart after it was reported that she had used the “N-word.”
Her use of this racial slur came out when she testified (PDF) in an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by a former employee against Ms. Dean, her brother Bubba Hiers, and
[T]he Lie, as a recreation, a solace, a refuge in time of need … man’s best and surest friend, is immortal, and cannot perish from the earth … My complaint simply concerns the decay of the art of lying.
From the Art of Lying by Mark Twain.
Mr. Twain’s concern about the decay of
In a rare decision favorable to Michigan whistlblower plaintiffs, the Court of Appeals reversed a trial court’s decision to dismiss a whistleblower case against an employer. But the real lesson that employers and their HR professionals should take from the decision is that timely decision making in the termination process is critical, as well
A proposed amendment to Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act was introduced this week. The primary sponsor for this bill is State Representative Gretchen Driskell. This amendment is part of a package of bills intended to promote pay equity in Michigan. For more information about the other bills in this package follow this link.
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