One Year Anniversary
One year and 936 posts ago, I started The Word on Employment Law. It’s been an interesting year. I can’t say that I knew what I was getting into. I can’t say that I had a plan for the blog. I can’t say that I realized you can’t be as wordy with a blog post as most lawyers like to be. I can say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my year of blogging.
I must thank my friends at M. Lee Smith Publishers for their help and support in getting the blog going. They have also been responsible for keeping me half-way on track during the year. I must thank those of you who’ve become regular readers and for the feedback you’ve given me. Your comments are always appreciated. And I must thank my fellow bloggers. I’ve not only enjoyed reading your blogs, but you have taught me much.
I guess I did develop a plan for the blog as time went on: to draw employment law and workplace lessons from pop culture. Thus, I have often dealt with subjects, incidents, settings and people not, at first blush, associated with employment law or the traditional workplace. While I’ve blogged about labor and employment cases, laws and issues, I’ve also blogged about sports, religion, politics, education, government, the upper echelons of Corporate America, dining, fashion, sex (The Man Gene), guns, animal rights, technology, movies, television, theater, music, science, celebrities, the military, the environment, and the economy – to discern (or attempt to) an employment lesson from a noteworthy happening in the context of one of these subjects.
Occasionally, I’ve been criticized (and, by the way, I appreciate the criticism as much as anything else) for trying to find a lesson where there isn’t one or stretching too far to make a questionable point or being inconsistent by trying to compare apples and oranges. I’m not above doing any of that, but I’m attempting to be more judicious in linking employment law with pop culture.
I don’t know what the next year of blogging holds, but I plan to keep on keeping on. I value your input, so please keep it coming. Thanks and cheers!
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About Chris Parker
Chris Parker's practice focuses on the representation and counseling of companies in matters pertaining to the workplace and the protection of their intellectual property and trade secrets. In addition to serving as an advocate for clients, Mr. Parker is also trained as a mediator and frequently serves as a third-party neutral.
Read more about Chris Parker
About Jimmy Daniel
Jimmy Daniel provides counseling to businesses of all sizes related to the employment relationship. He assists in the drafting of employment agreements, policies, and handbooks, as well as provides guidance related to compliance with federal, state, and local legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Read more about Jimmy Daniel
About Larry Bridgesmith
While serving in an Of Counsel relationship with the firm, Mr. Bridgesmith also serves as the Executive Director at the Institute for Conflict Resolution at Lipscomb University and as an officer and principal in Strategic Resolutions Group, LLC. In these roles, Mr. Bridgesmith brings over 30 years of legal experience in dispute resolution and innovative workplace strategies to clients, students and business entities alike.
Read more about Larry Bridgesmith
John,
Congratulations! And please do keep it coming – I’m very glad to have discovered your work – it is all of informative, entertaining, insightful, and very often eye-opening.
Here’s to many more terrific anniversaries!
Jim
John – I thoroughly enjoy your blog and read it everyday! I am considering adding it to Global HR SharePoint site RSS feeds for our HR team. Thank you and congratulations on one year of blogging!
Sincerely,
Denise Schimmoeller (previously Kramarczyk)
Previous CCE Great Lakes OD Manager
Cincinnati, OH
Currently at Cooper-Standard Automotive
Novi, MI
Jim,
Thanks for your kind words. When you said “many more” anniversaries, that made me pause. But what the heck. Maybe I do have many more in me. We’ll see. Thanks again.
John
Denise,
Thanks for your encouragement. It would be an honor to be added to Global HR SharePoint site.
John
John: Terrific blog and always on my list of reading. Keep up the great work and congrats on your one-year anniversary.
Dan,
I appreciate your comment. It gives me one more reason to think of something else when I think I’ve run out of ideas.
John
John, you have a great blog and we enjoy it so much. You have a kindred spirit in me with your willingness to skew sacred cows at times and throw in some “bonus vulgarity,” but only when appropriate of course!
Keep up the great job and congratulations on your anniversary. E.
E,
You’re kind to take the time to send me your congratulations. I, too, feel the kindred spirit. I’ll never be as eclectic as you are, but I’ll continue to take on a sacred cow or two. Thanks again.
John
John – Congrats on your first year. Your web site is required reading at our office.
Kurt
Kurt,
Thanks for your kind note, although I must confess I always get a little nervous when I realize that people are really reading what I write.
John