Robin Shea

Employment lawyer with Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete. Author/editor in chief of Employment & Labor Insider blog. (Check it out!)

[Gary Wheeler @gwheeler1]

When Termination Becomes a Litigation Risk: Using severance strategically https://t.co/WL9DLeAttK

[TheGryph @tcwithers]

@Rothmus I understand the instinct but HR is a "compliance" department at this point. You want to get rid of compliance then go for it but certain employment attorneys will have a field day with you.

[Detroit Tigers @tigers]

DETROIT, THIS IS FOR YOU!

[EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas @andrealucasEEOC]

.@USEEOC stands ready to take charges against alleged unlawful conduct by unions, as well as employers. Reminder: under 42 USC 2000e-2(c), unions also can be liable for harassing, or failing to prevent the harassment of, one of their members based on religion, race, sex, etc.

[David Burge @iowahawkblog]

A #DavesCarIDService Labor Day weekend tribute to the workers who built America's cars. First up, the fellas at Ford's Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit, 1906.

Henry Ford had failed at his first two car companies, The Detroit Automobile Co (1899-1901) and the Henry Ford Co (1901-02). His new Ford Motor Co in 1903 was likely his final chance to make it in the car biz. Modest 3 story Piquette was his initial plant, opening in 1904, where workers assembled his first alphabetical models - the A, the B, R, S, and in 1907 the T.

Oddly the Piquette plant was not an assembly line per se. Each car remained stationary while worker teams rotated to perform assembly tasks on them. But the demand for Ford's cars was so high he knew they needed a more efficient way to assemble them to keep up. He harkened back to one of his first jobs, plant engineer for the Edison's Detroit lightbulb factory, where bulbs were made on a moving line process. He adapted that for car making, and Ford's big new Highland Park plant (1908) was designed on that principle.

Nearly every Ford T was made in Highland Park, and the assembly line efficiencies allowed the price to drop every year. By 1912, Highland Park had 25,000 workers. It was succeeded by the gargantuan River Rouge plant (1928), which at its peak employed 100,000 workers.

It all started with these assemblers, though. History doesn't record their names, but they included the "Magneto Girls," women who assembled the delicate innards of magnetos and coils. It was a tough job for tough people, but not unrewarded. Ford famously offered $5 per day, incredible blue collar wages at the time, to minimized worker turnover.

That kind of assembly line job is often unfairly characterized as mind numbing and repetitive, dunce work. Having worked on the assembly line at Wilson Trailer in my youth I can attest it requires always having your wits about you. I have many brilliant friends in the custom car building world who learned their craft on the assembly line.

There is dignity in any kind of work; and to me, especially in constructing cars. I look at this 1906 picture and wonder if any of the younger fellas remained at Ford for another 30 or 40 years, or started their own automotive enterprises. Did they think at the time that what they were doing was going to significantly change the world? Yep, I bet they did.

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Three religious accommodation trends: The good, the bad and the “buckle up for turbulence” https://t.co/9vbgqLjQFr | by @ConstangyLaw

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Bad news for Wilcox? Removal protections for NLRB members, ALJs are “likely” unconstitutional, appeals court finds https://t.co/43DI9ZT8pi | by @ConstangyLaw

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Employers, can team-building get you sued? Four risks, four solutions https://t.co/EkrfMA3lTC | by @ConstangyLaw

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

When is an employer liable for harassment by customers? You may be relieved. https://t.co/kW8b0iyJB0 | by @ConstangyLaw

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Employer skirts constructive discharge claim https://t.co/l1DxDieVd4 | by @ConstangyLaw

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Appellate court orders disclosure of contractors’ EEO-1 Reports https://t.co/Os6jc8pGCw | by @ConstangyLaw

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Well, duh! Pregnant Workers Fairness Act applies to lactation, judge rules https://t.co/92pz4uv2yM | by @ConstangyLaw

[old toons @oldtoons_]

85 years of the coolest, cleverest, carrot-crunching mischief in cartoon history.

🎉🐰 Happy Birthday, Bugs Bunny! 🥕🎂

[Matt Margolis @ItsMattsLaw]

Replaced “shall” with “will” and the lawyers sent me death threats via carrier pigeon

[Robin Shea @RobinEShea]

“May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!” -- Daniel Webster.

Happy Fourth of July to you all!

[Robin Shea @RobinEShea]

@RealEvilHRLady @FreethinkingHR @JenniferSey Great article, Suzanne. I could not agree more.

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Will the OFCCP be relegated to the dustbin of history? https://t.co/VQNAF0Ajv8 | by @ConstangyLaw

[old toons @oldtoons_]

I'm a little late, but Mel Blanc’s birthday deserves infinite reruns.

Happy 117th birthday to the man of a thousand voices. Saturday mornings still echo with your magic. ✨🤍

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Three decisions provide cautions for employers who do business in the Bay State https://t.co/Lubm0HcZ6J | by @ConstangyLaw

[Employment Law News @Labor_Law]

Out again: Supreme Court pauses reinstatement of ex-NLRB Member Wilcox, one other former official https://t.co/pSztKDM3C1 | by @ConstangyLaw