Josh Hawks-Ladds Featured in New York Post on Workplace Laws and Employee Unrest

Co-chair of Pullman & Comley's Labor, Employment Law and Employee Benefits practice Joshua A. Hawks-Ladds spoke to the New York Post about relevant workplace laws at a time when employee unrest and union strikes are gaining media attention, most recently the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.

Union members have been on strike for equitable compensation structures and working conditions, and Josh explained how the National Labor Relations Act plays a role in employees creating or joining unions. “The National Labor Relations Act generally protects private-sector non-management employees (with or without a union) from being terminated for approaching management about terms and conditions of employment in a concerted manner.” 

It's important for employers to keep open communication with their employees and address concerns quickly and fairly to build a culture where employees feel comfortable addressing concerns with management, Josh noted. “Without this type of culture, small, solvable problems can snowball into major issues,” he said. Additionally, employers should be sure they are treating and paying their employees correctly to avoid issues with the union. “A union is going to file a grievance immediately in accordance with the contract. Since a strike is really only something that can happen with unionized employees after the failure of a prescribed contractual process, employers without unionized employees are more concerned with retaining talent and ensuring their employees are happy and productive members of the team than employees ‘striking.’”

To read the full article, please visit www.nypost.com.