Welcome to Dirty Steel-Toe Boots, a podcast for employers about OSHA enforcement. In this episode, Phillip Russell and Eric Hobbs discuss the structure of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the agency’s new leadership, including in Washington, D.C., and the regional and area offices. The speakers emphasize the importance of building relationships with OSHA leadership and area offices and address the impact of the Biden administration’s new enforcement priorities.

On September 1, 2021, the Firearm Carry Act of 2021 will go into effect, allowing Texans to carry handguns in public without government-issued permits or licenses. With the patchwork of laws across the United States regarding the need (or lack thereof) for permits to possess and carry handguns, employers are facing questions about employees carrying guns into the workplace. In this podcast, Collin Brodrick and Matt Gizzo discuss employer gun policies by contrasting Texas’s and New York’s respective firearms statutes.

On July 15, 2021, the California Supreme Court issued a significant decision in Ferra v. Loews Hollywood Hotel, LLC, on premium pay owed for missed meal and rest breaks. In this podcast, Charles Thompson, Mike Nader, and Bob Roginson address the implications of the court’s retroactive decision for California employers and provide practical tips to ensure compliance. The speakers also discuss a pending California Supreme Court case, Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc., which deals with related wage and hour issues.

In this episode of the Breaking Down Benefits series, Jason Rothman discusses wellness plans, including key strategy and tax considerations. He also addresses the application of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Affordable Care Act to incentives in wellness plans.

In the inaugural edition of our Dirty Steel-Toe Boots podcast series, Phillip Russell explains what listeners can expect from this workplace safety and health podcast. The speaker also provides an update on developments at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and four considerations for employers in light of OSHA’s increased enforcement efforts.

In this episode of our California labor law podcast series, Maria Anastas and Daniel Adlong discuss the impact of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) recent activity involving unions’ use of Scabby the Rat and the interplay with California’s Moscone Act. The speakers also address recent traditional labor trends in California.

In this podcast, Chris Olmsted is joined by special guest Dr. Suzanne Hoffman to discuss the impact of remote work and the COVID-19 pandemic on employees as they return to the office. The speakers identify potential signs of a decline in engagement and morale among employees and offer tips to ease the transition back to the on-site workplace. The speakers also address the role that employee assistance programs can play in the transition process.

In this episode of a podcast miniseries in partnership with NOTICED, Justin Tarka and Rebecca Emery discuss the recent push for ethnicity pay reporting in the United Kingdom. The speakers compare ethnicity pay reporting with gender pay gap reporting. The speakers also address the challenges of implementing ethnicity pay reporting and discuss the current status of government action on mandating ethnicity pay reporting.

In this follow-up to their podcast on nontraditional employees, Jana Baker and Jim Paul discuss the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to volunteers and student interns, including medical residents. The speakers also address the interplay between the educational institutions and placement sites.

In the June edition of our Third Thursdays podcast series, Ruthie Goodboe discusses Section 8(c) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in the context of a case recently decided by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The speaker explains the distinctions between permitted and prohibited employer communications.