Daily Archives: March 31, 2009

To Employees Having Trouble Reaching Employee Rights Attorneys…

As of late, with the economic downturn, many employees have tried contacting Employee Rights attorneys, including my firm and me, but have had trouble being able to speak to an attorney, or to arrange a consultation, etc.  In the past, I tried to offer brief and free phone consults for all who called, but at this time logistically I cannot speak with many people, or have consultations free of charge.

If you don’t speak to me, please know this is nothing at all personal about you or your matter.  Also, if you have troubles reaching other employee rights attorneys, please do not take that personally, either.

If you think there is any chance you may proceed with a legal action, it is important you promptly learn about your rights and any deadlines (statutes of limitations) that may apply.

If you want to speak to an employee rights attorney in Wisconsin or any other State, please consider visiting the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) website here, where you can do a by-State search, and get listings of employee rights attorneys’ contact information. I give you this link with the disclaimer that I am not recommending that you retain, or not retain,  any particular attorney who may be listed.  This is just a centralized resource where many employee rights attorneys’ contact information is  located.

Hopefully, you will get through to an attorney who is available and who you are comfortable with.

If anyone knows of a free attorney/legal resource(s) that is available and focused on receiving inquiries from employees with employment law concerns, particularly in WI, please let me know.  I’d be happy to forward the contact information.

Thank you very much for your inquiries, and sorry again if we don’t get to talk.

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Filed under Employee Tip - Considering a Legal Action

Deeply Troubling Employee Conduct in France

According to this CNN article,  some French workers responded to frustration with looming layoffs, and with executives, by holding executives hostage.

According to the workers, they have no intent to harm the executives, they just want to force them into negotiations.

The workers’ frustrations with layoffs and executives, I understand.  I sympathize with many workers immensely, and many have problems that are real and substantial.

But these workers’ means of dealing with those frustrations, and their actions, are very troubling.

Now more than ever, we all need to touch base with our humanity, our fundamental principles, and our respect for the Other- especially when we have profound disagreements and distrust with the Other.   In saying this, I am foremost mindful of my own progress that need be made in this regard, and I try to remind myself of these principles, especially when my emotions incline me to react in a petty or righteous way.  We are all serious works in progress, and these times have made many of us fixate on others’ perceived or actual misconduct rather than exploring whether we ourselves have any, even when what our body’s are doing (free from our moral oversight) is as obviously wrong as holding a boss hostage.

Consider this famous quote:

“In conflict, be fair and generous.  In governing, don’t try to control.  In work, do what you enjoy.  In family life, be completely present.”- Tao Te Ching.

How can any of these things be accomplished by holding their bosses hostage?  How are workers not embodying that same root misconduct- the same core marginalization or apathy- that they want others to stop?

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Filed under Philosophy - Employee Rights